LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Softball battled, but fell to the University of Rio Grande 8-6 in extra innings in their first outing of the 2019 season, Friday afternoon on the Georgia Gwinnett College field.
URG took an early 2-0 lead before Riley O'Neal slammed a two-run homer that hit the top of the wall in left-center and bounded over to knot the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth. The Red Storm retook the lead in the top of the sixth, but in the bottom of the seventh BC rallied to send the game into extra innings. Gabrielle Melick walked and Kristin Storer doubled. Melick scored on a fielder's choice by Lexi Harmon and Storer scampered home on an error to tie the game.
URG scored four times in the top of the eighth, but BC wasn't finished. The Rams plated two runs and had the game winning run at the plate when the game's final out was recorded.
Harman worked the entire game in the circle for the Rams and struck out four batters in her BC debut.
Bluefield returns to the diamond later Friday to take on host Georgia Gwinnett.