Feb. 20, 2011

Final Stats

FAYETTEVILLE, NC - Jessica Randolph got the big hit again. And Olivia Peavey got out of the jam.

Added up, it resulted in the fifth straight win for the Fayetteville State Lady Broncos, who rallied for a 3-2 victory over Shepherd in game 1 of a doubleheader on Sunday. The Broncos split the two games with Shepherd, falling 13-0 in five innings in game 2.

"We're happy with a split," said Fayetteville State head coach Miguel Justiniano, better known as "Coach Who."That's a really good team we played, and we finished the weekend 3-1."

Fayetteville State (5-3) scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the first game and then got a one-out RBI double from Randolph (Fr., Pinetops, NC) in the sixth inning to give the Lady Broncos their first lead at 3-2.

But after two errors to the first two batters of the top of the seventh inning put runners on first and second with no outs, Peavey buckled down and got three outs in quick succession, coaxing a popup in the infield and then a fielder's choice at third to nab the lead runner. That bought up Chelsie Oals, who had doubled and tripled in the game, but Peavey (So., Siler City, NC) retired her on a fly ball that Fayetteville State right fielder LaTonia Gatling (Jr., Suffolk, VA) made a nice running catch to end the game.

Peavey (2-1) collected her second win in as many days - and her second as a member of the Lady Broncos - by allowing just three hits and two runs in the complete game effort. She walked just two and struck out one.

Oals got Shepherd going in the first inning by doubling off of Peavey to open the game. She was sacrificed to third and scored the game's first run on Amber Dudek's sacrifice fly to center field.

The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth inning when Oals laced a two-out triple to the right field corner to drive in Delaney Bell and give the Rams (2-2) a 2-0 lead.

But Fayetteville State struck back in the home half of the inning. The Lady Broncos quickly put runners on first and second, and after a wild pitch, they moved up to second and third with one out. But they appeared as though they may be stranded there by Shepherd starter Brooke Shambaugh until Gatling, with two outs, laid down a squeeze bunt and beat the throw at first. The throw got away from Shepherd's Nichole Pitcock, allowing Demarius Pankey (Sr., Laurinburg, NC) to score the tying run.

After Peavey retired the side in order in the sixth, the Lady Broncos put runners on first and second to lead off the inning. April Branch (Sr., Watha, NC) reached after the third strike got past the catcher and Quristeen Brown (Fr., Greensboro, NC) reached on an error. With pinch-runner Malia Blue (Fr., Sanford, NC) at second, Randolph ripped a rope over the head of center fielder Bianca Biondlllo to drive in the game-winning run.

Shambaugh took the hard-luck loss for the Rams, who won a regional championship on their way to 36 wins a year ago. Shambaugh worked six innings, allowing four hits and three runs - one earned - while fanning eight and walking just one.

The Lady Broncos struggled with their defense in the second game, committing a season-high seven errors while Shepherd got its bats going. With 14 hits for the Lady Rams and seven FSU errors, it added up to eight unearned runs charged to Misty Huber (3-2), who lost for the first time in her last four starts.

Shepherd scored five runs, only one of which was earned, in the second inning to take control of the game. The Rams added three runs in the third, two in the fourth and three more in the fifth for the final margin. Jess Mason was 3-for-4 with four RBI for Shepherd.