CHARLESTON, S.C. - Sophomore Brandy Brown's RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh broke a 3-all tie and lifted Dayton to a 4-3 victory over UNC Wilmington in the consolation game of the Low Country Invitational Saturday at Buccaneer Field.
The Seahawks were defeated in their other contest of the day, falling to host Charleston Southern, 4-1, in round-robin action. UNCW, who moved to 1-14 on the season with the setbacks, returns to the field Wednesday when it hosts long-time rival Coastal Carolina in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Boseman Field.
Against Charleston Southern, the Buccaneers broke open a pitcher's duel in the bottom of the fourth, plating four runs on five hits to build a 4-0 lead. Freshman Jana Matthews opened the scoring with a two-run double to right center while a double by freshman Trea Steele and a single by sophomore Melissa Adams accounted for the final two Buccaneers runs of the frame.
UNCW cut into the Charleston Southern deficit in the top of the six with a RBI single by sophomore Laura Sykes that made it a 4-1 contest.
That would be as close as the Seahawks would get, as junior Kimberly Hobbs and freshman Morgan Dowdy retired six of the last seven batters they faced to preserve the Buccaneers' three-run lead. Hobbs got the start and pitched six innings, allowing one run on 10 hits to improve to 3-4 on the season while Dowdy retired all three batters she faced in the seventh inning to record her first save of the season.
Cullum, Steele and sophomore Megan Lombard all went 2-for-3 at the plate to guide a Charleston Southern lineup that recorded 11 base hits in the contest.
Junior Amanda Aditays took the loss for the Seahawks against Charleston Southern, give up four runs on 11 hits. She struck out four. Sykes and seniors Michelle Harrison and Morgan Walters all had two hits apiece to highlight the Seahawks attack.
UNCW took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning in its matchup with Dayton on a double to left field by sophomore Brittany Pierce that brought home freshman Lauryn Buckworth, who had opened the frame with a single up the middle.
The Flyers drew even in the bottom half of the frame as back-to-back doubles by senior Molly Meyer and freshman Kathleen Maloof leveled the score at 1-all.
The two teams once again traded runs in the fourth inning, with the Seahawks using a RBI single by sophomore Jennifer Ladd to take a 2-1 lead, only to have the Flyers respond with a run-scoring single by freshman Carlyn Harlow in the bottom of the frame to knot the game at 2-2.
Dayton took its first lead of the game, 3-2, in the bottom of the fifth on a run-scoring single by sophomore Brandy Brown before the Seahawks used a RBI single by Walters in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 3-all.
The game would remained tied until the bottom of the seventh, when senior Anne Maci reached base on a two-out single through the left side and stole second base to advance into scoring position, where Brown was able to bring her home with a single up the middle for the decisive run.
Brown and Maloof were both 3-for-4 at the plate to pace the Flyers lineup while Meyer and Maci chipped in two hits apiece. Freshman Amanda Daly was credited with the win to move to 2-4 as she pitched the final three innings in relief of senior Eva Rappe. Daly allowed one run on four hits and two walks.
Ladd and Walters were both 2-for-4 to guide the Seahawks attack while five other players chipped in one base knock each to account for UNCW's nine hits in the game. Sophomore Amanda Davenport took the loss for the Seahawks to move to 0-4 on the season. In 2.2 innings in relief of starter Samme Lisowsky, Davenport surrendered two runs on six hits.
