BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College softball team (6-29, 0-18 USA South) battled second-place Greensboro College (22-12, 11-5 USAS) in a pair of contests on Wednesday afternoon in Greensboro, North Carolina.
 
The Tornados struck first in game one, but the Pride found five unanswered runs on their way to a 5-1 victory. Greensboro used two separate three-run frames to surge past BC in the second contest of the afternoon, 9-1, via run rule in the bottom of the sixth.
   
The Tornados were able to get on the board first in the top of the first inning after Rylee Locklear hit an infield single to lead things off. Following a sacrifice bunt by Olivia Martinez, Regan Winkler shot an RBI single to right field that brought Locklear around to score. The Tornados threatened further with runners on first and second with two outs, but they were left on base.
 
Greensboro answered with a three-spot in the bottom-half of the frame, using a two-RBI single and then another RBI single to take the lead, 3-1. BC went down in order in the top of the second, while the Pride used a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to score an unearned run, pushing their lead to a three-run margin, 4-1.
 
The Tornados and Pride went down fairly quietly in the third inning, but BC threatened in the fourth, getting a pair of runners into scoring position while eventually loading the bases, but a strikeout ended the threat. BC's pitching and defense produced shutout innings in the third, fourth, and fifth innings.
 
BC got runners on first and second base with nobody out in the top of the sixth, but Greensboro forced three-consecutive strikeouts to end the inning unscathed. The Pride tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth via a sacrifice fly to stretch their lead to four runs, 5-1. GC sat BC down in order in the top of the seventh to finish up the four-run game one win.
 
Locklear, Winkler, and Jadyn Harlow all collected singles in game one of the midweek doubleheader, with Winkler driving in Locklear for BC's lone run. The Pride ended up with five runs on 10 hits, including two of the extra-base variety. Logan Masinsky (1-10) went the distance for Brevard, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits in six innings pitched.
   
Greensboro established a lead early in game two of the twin bill, using a two-run homer and an RBI single to take a 3-0 lead. MacKenzie Wilborne tallied BC's first hit of the contest in the top of the second and stole a base, but three consecutive outs left her stranded. GC was able to tack on its fourth run of the contest on a wild pitch, but Grace Reynolds and the Tornado defense prevented further damage as the Pride stranded runners at second and third base.
 
Brevard got its second baserunner of game two as Karley Queen drew a one-out walk and made it to second base on a groundout, but the Tornados were unable to capitalize on the runner in scoring position.
 
Greensboro was able to break the game open for good in the bottom of the fifth inning, using a three-RBI, bases-clearing triple with two outs in the frame to extend its lead to a 7-0 margin. Brevard got its first run of the game when Locklear shot a triple down the right-field line, and scored on a throwing error, cutting the deficit to six at 7-1. Winkler notched Brevard's third hit of the game with a two-out single to center field. The Pride were able to end the contest with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Brevard will conclude its 2024 campaign on Saturday when the Tornados face off against nationally-ranked No. 12 Pfeiffer University at the BC Softball Field.
 
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