LOUISBURG, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College softball team suffered its first losses in program history on Saturday, falling to Mercyhurst North East and 12th-ranked Pitt during the first day of the Sheilah R. Cotten Invitational hosted by Louisburg College.
Game one: Mercyhurst North East 9, Catawba Valley 1 (five innings)
The Red Hawks were held to just four hits and one run in their first-ever loss at the hands of the Saints on Saturday morning.
Chesney Millsaps, Zoe Dalton, Hayley Morrow and Ashlyn Parsons each tallied one hit apiece to lead CVCC (2-1) in the invitational opener.
Mercyhurst gained early control in the contest, scoring two runs in the first inning on two hits, two walks and two errors.
The Saints added to that lead in the second inning on a two-run home run to left field by Jodi Frontino, pushing her team's advantage to 4-0.
Mercyhurst added five more runs in the fourth inning, scoring on
Catawba Valley broke up the shutout bid in the fifth inning, plating a run on a sacrifice fly by Katelyn McClure, which scored Hayley Morrow, but CVCC could get no further, falling in run-rule fashion.
Game two: No. 12 Pitt 15, Catawba Valley 7 (five innings)
Despite falling behind early and nearly storming back, the Red Hawks fell to the Bulldogs in their first-ever game against a Region 10 opponent.
After trailing 8-0 after the first inning, Catawba Valley stormed back with two runs in the first inning and five runs in the second inning to pull back within one run of the lead.
Chesney Millsaps and Kinsley Gilmore helped spark the early rally. Millsaps recorded the program's first-ever home run during the first inning, while Gilmore hit her home run during second inning. Both of the hits were two-run homers.
Pitt managed to weather the storm, though, scoring seven more runs in the next two innings to earn the run-rule victory.
The CVCC softball team returns to action on Sunday for the final day of the Sheilah R. Cotten Invitational. The Red Hawks face Richard Bland at 11 a.m. before finishing tournament play at 3 p.m. against host Louisburg.