Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.—On the final day of the Gryphons' week-long venture, Sarah Lawrence College softball split with Franciscan University of Steubenville in a non-conference doubleheader at North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex on Thursday. Franciscan took game one, 11-4, before the Gryphons responded to take game two, 8-3.

IN SHORT
Franciscan defeated Sarah Lawrence, 11-4.
Sarah Lawrence (3-5) defeated Franciscan (3-3), 8-3.

GAME ONE
After the Lady Barons scored in the top of the first inning, sophomore Taryn Penna (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and came around to score a small-ball run and tie the game, 1-1. Rookie Karissa McAuley (Loudonville, N.Y./Colonie) notched a hit in the second inning, but Franciscan scored five straight runs to take a 6-1 advantage.

In the bottom of the third inning, three Gryphons recorded hits. Penna put a shot through the left side, and sophomore Baylie Petit (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) singled down the left field line. Rookie Mackenzie Mindish (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) took a pitch off her leg to load the bases, and junior Kamaron McNair (Lawrence Township, N.J./The Hun School) followed with an RBI-single. Two more Gryphons scored on a Franciscan error, and the inning ended with SLC trailing, 6-4.

SLC was held to two hits in the final three innings, as Penna picked up her third single in the fourth inning and Petit knocked one through the left side in the fifth. The Lady Barons tacked on five runs to round out the scoring.

In the circle, McAuley struck out a pair of batters while yielding just three earned runs over five innings of work. Sophomore Mikayla Cunningham (Mayville, Mich./Millington) was dealt the loss after struggling early in the cold weather. From the plate, Penna finished 3-for-4 with two runs, while Petit also had a multi-hit game after going 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.

GAME TWO
Sarah Lawrence recovered and fought off the three-game series sweep with a stellar effort in the second game of the twinbill. The Green and White led off the game with five hits in the first inning, scoring a pair of runs. Junior Sarah Shapiro (Germantown, Md./Northwest), Petit, McNair, Cunningham and McAuley each singled in the inning to help the jump out to a 2-0 lead.

Franciscan scored a run in the bottom of the frame and kept the Gryphons scoreless in the second and third innings. Penna, McNair and Cunningham had singles yet the team stranded runners on third base both times. The Lady Barons erased the Sarah Lawrence lead with a run in the third inning, and the teams went to the fourth tied, 3-3.

In the fourth inning, Penna picked up her fourth double of the trip, and Shapiro followed with a single, putting runners on the corners. Petit plated the go-ahead run with a groundout, and the Gryphons regained the lead, 4-3. McAuley hit in the fifth inning, and the one-run edge persisted until the sixth.

Rookie Kelsey Copley (West Jefferson, Ohio/West Jefferson) singled to lead off the top of the sixth inning, and Penna posted her third hit of the game. Petit singled up the middle to fill the bags, knocking the Lady Barons' starting pitcher out of the game.

Franciscan was not out of trouble yet, as Mindish hit an RBI single and McNair followed with a walk to force in another run. Cunningham also batted in a run, and the Gryphons extended their lead to 6-3.

In the seventh, Sarah Lawrence posted another crooked number on the scoreboard. Rookie Veronica Huston (Los Angeles, Calif./Notre Dame) drew a walk to start the inning, while Copley and Penna both rounded the bases to score on a two-RBI single off the bat of Shapiro. Petit finished off the game with the team's season-high 17th hit of the game, and the defense closed out the 8-3 victory with a three-up-three-down effort.

After taking over in relief, Cunningham's pitching stumped the Lady Barons. The sophomore ace gave up just two hits and a walk in five scoreless innings to earn her third win of the season. McNair had a strikeout and one earned run in her two innings.

IN THE RECORD BOOK
For the second time in three days, McNair tied her school record with 11 putouts in game two—despite covering first base for only five innings. The junior surpassed the team's previous record holder and has more career putouts than any other Gryphon.

Shapiro hit a successful sacrifice bunt in Thursday's first game. With the effort, she takes outright control of the team career sacrifice hits record.

Behind the plate, Petit gunned down a Lady Baron in the second inning of game two. In her career, she has caught runners on seven steal attempts to take over as a new career record holder.

UP NEXT
Sarah Lawrence's scheduled games against Old Westbury (Sunday) and York (Monday) are postponed due to field conditions following Tuesday's blizzard. The Gryphons are next slated to travel to Albertus Magnus College on Wednesday.