Armstrong Hands Lions First Defeat of 2014

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Mars Hill softball team suffered their first setback of the season, falling 10-0 to Armstrong on Saturday morning.

Armstrong starting pitcher Ollivia McLemore allowed one hit, a Robyn Stanek double with two outs in the fourth inning.

Mars Hill threatened in the first inning as Brittany Gibson led off with a walk and stole second. After a groundout, Stanek flew out to right field with Gibson being doubled off at second base. In the Armstrong second, Andrea Dalton reached on a leadoff walk. After a fielder's choice, the Pirates loaded the bases on a single and a hit batter with one out. Mars Hill starter Shelby Culler got out of the inning without any damage thanks to a strikeout and a groundout.

Armstrong got on the board in the third inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Dalton that scored Peyton Roth. In the Mars Hill fourth, McLemore retired the first two batters before allowing Stanek's double and issuing a walk to Jamie Hockaday before retiring Culler to end the inning.

The Pirates scored nine runs in the fifth inning, beginning with a Roth single that scored Alexis Mercer. After Culler retired Lacye Walker on a flyout, Armstrong scored eight runs on four hits along with an error, wild pitch, hit batter and bases-loaded walk before the Lions could get the second out. A double play got Mars Hill out of the inning as Dalton popped up to Hockaday, who then threw home with Cori Dew tagging out Roth.

McLemore earned her third win of the season, allowing one hit with three walks and five strikeouts in five innings. Culler was charged with the loss after she allowed three runs, all earned, on six hits with a walk and strikeout in five innings of work.

Mars Hill will play Armstrong tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in their final game of the tournament.