[Softball] Lady Knights Walk-Off with Split vs. Montreat

LAURINBURG, N.C. - The St. Andrews University Softball team ended their losing skid Wednesday by splitting with AAC rival Montreat College (N.C.). Montreat won game one 9-1 in five innings while the Knights walked off with a game two win 2-1.

GAME 2: SAU 2, MONTREAT 1

A pitcher's duel developed in game two as junior starter Nancy Amos (JR/Huntersville, NC) battled for 7 innings. The Knights got Amos a run early in the first inning as sophomore 3B Brennan Broadaway (SO/Oakboro, NC) got things started with a single to center before advancing to third on a MC error. Junior 2B Nikki Santiago (JR/Gainesville, FL) then drove her in with an RBI groundout. After another groundout, SAU would then put runners on 2nd and 3rd with a double from junior 1B Lexi Dawson (JR/Garland, NC) and a single from junior outfielder Reina Mondragon (JR/Williamston, NC). However, the Knights could not push across any more runs.

Montreat then scratched across a run in the 5th inning as a tough fly ball was hit to left field that Mondragon could not corral to tie the game at one. SAU would then leave two more runners on in the 5th inning but that would lead to the heroics in the 7th.

It began with Santiago reaching base with a hard-earned walk before junior RF Amanda Shaffer (JR/Sandyston, NJ) then advanced her to third with a quality sacrifice bunt. Finally, SAU's hottest hitter, Dawson, stepped to the plate and after working the count to 3-1, proceeded to nicely place the ball just between the first baseman and right fielder inside the foul line for the game-winning hit scoring Santiago.

Amos ended up allowing just 3 hits and 1 unearned run with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts over 7 innings to improve to 8-3 on the year with a 1.49 ERA and her 6th complete game.

Dawson led the Knights offensively by going 4 for 4 for her first career 4-hit game while she is now hitting a team-best .400 on the season with 20 hits. Sophomore shortstop Ashlyn Dial (SO/Laurinburg, NC) was also 2 for 3 with two stolen bases while Santiago also stole two bases as she now has a team-high 14 SBs. The Knights outhit the Cavaliers 8-3 in the game as well.

GAME 1: Montreat 9, SAU 1

Broadaway then started game one for the Knights and after getting the first two outs quickly, Montreat went on to record 5 consecutive hits culminating with a grand slam that quickly gave Montreat the 5-0 lead.

SAU, however, could not recover from the early deficit even as sophomore reliever S.K. Brown (SO/Huntersville, NC) came on in the second to relieve Broadaway and finish the final four innings. Brown allowed 4 hits and 4 runs on a walk and a strikeout while Broadaway received the loss falling to 2-3 on the year as she recorded 2 strikeouts, but allowed the five big runs.

Santiago led the offense in game one going 2 for 3 with a stolen base while Broadaway had the lone extra-base hit, a double, in the first inning.

SAU improves to 13-11 on the season and 1-3 in the AAC while Montreat goes to 3-11 and 1-1.

SAU will next remain home to host conference foe Bryan College (5-13) on Saturday in a 1 PM doubleheader.