BELMONT — The St. Andrews University softball team finished up their regular season on Saturday splitting a pair of non-conference games with Belmont Abbey College.
Game One: SAU 6, Belmont Abbey 4
Freshman reliever S.K. Brown started game one for the Lady Knights tossing three shutout innings allowing just three hits before freshman Brennan Broadaway (7-10) came on in relief in the fourth. Broadaway three three innings allowing four runs off six hits with two walks.
Despite the four runs, Broadaway walked out of the circle with the win as her offense scored four runs in the fourth and one run in the third and fifth innings to lead 6-4. Sophomore reliever Nancy Amos came on in the seventh inning to close the game with a scoreless frame to pick up her fourth save on the year.
St. Andrews struck first on a Sam Lowder RBI single in the third inning before Broadaway began the fourth with a solo home run — her first of the year. An RBI single by Mekayla Valentine made it 3-0 St. Andrews before senior Brooke Sikes drove in a run on a fielder’s choice.
A bases-loaded walk to sophomore Rachel Swartwood drove in the fourth run of the inning. A two-run homer by Belmont Abbey in the bottom of the fourth cut the Lady Knights lead to three, 5-2. St. Andrews added an insurance run in the fifth with an RBI ground out from Valentine that scored senior Kori Ballard, who had singled.
Game Two: BAC 6, SAU 4
Kori Ballard started game two in the circle for St. Andrews, but only lasted two innings allowing six runs off six hits to pick up the 7-10 loss. Broadaway finished the game allowing zero runs off one hit over the final three innings.
Belmont Abbey scored two quick runs in the first innings before St. Andrews came back with a run in the second and third innings to tie the game 2-2. Sophomore Lexi Dawson doubled to score Ballard in the second while Broadaway singled to score Lowder in the third.
Belmont Abbey took a 6-2 lead after three innings, before the Lady Knights came back in the fourth to score two runs on a home run from sophomore Symphony Arguedas — her first of the season — to cut Belmont Abbey’s lead to 6-4. St. Andrews tallied a few more hits the rest of the game outhitting the Lady Crusaders 8-7, but could push anymore runs across the plate.
The Lady Knights finish the season at 17-29 overall while Belmont Abbey goes to 10-30-2.
St. Andrews now prepares for the AAC tournament which begins on April 26 in Kingsport, Tenn. The Lady Knights are the No. 8 seed and will play top seeded Reinhardt. A time for that game has not been announced yet.