Fayetteville State rallied twice and put the tying run on base in the seventh, but a pair of sixth‑inning scores lifted Mars Hill to a 5–4 win Saturday afternoon at Tyger River Stadium.
Mars Hill (10–3) struck early with a three‑run first inning, powered by S. Cecil's three‑run home run to left. Fayetteville State (1–3) answered immediately when Tiara Stueck drove in Cheyenne Payne with a single in the bottom half to make it 3–1.
After four scoreless innings, the Broncos surged in the fifth. Madison Heath delivered the biggest swing of the day for FSU — a two‑run homer to left that plated Payne and tied the game at 3–3.
Mars Hill regained control in the sixth behind solo home runs and timely hitting. C. Sterling broke the tie with a leadoff homer, and later in the inning B. Weimer singled home R. Waters to extend the Lions' lead to 5–3.
Down to their final three outs, the Broncos rallied again. Payne reached for the third time on the day and came around to score on A'Leah Wilson's RBI single up the middle, which also advanced Wilson to second on a throwing error. Fayetteville State brought the tying run to second base, but Mars Hill reliever K. Gentry escaped the jam to secure the win.
Fayetteville State Highlights
In the circle, Kevana Deberry went the distance for the Broncos, scattering 12 hits over 7.0 innings with three strikeouts.
Mars Hill Highlights
- S. Cecil: 3-run HR
- C. Sterling: Solo HR
- B. Weimer: 3-for-3, RBI
- A. Nanney: 2 hits, stolen base
Winning Pitcher: K. Gentry (1–0) – 2.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 SO
Losing Pitcher: K. Deberry (0–2) – 7.0 IP, 5 ER
Despite the loss, Fayetteville State showed offensive balance and late‑game grit, posting eight hits and their first multi-homer performance of the young season.
