SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Bryant & Stratton College softball team made its second trip in three years to the NJCAA national tournament, and it matched up against the No. 5 team in the country, Louisburg College, on Monday.

Carissa Heisdorf and Nora Statz both walked, and after a wild pitch put them both in scoring position, Lizzy Wesoloski hit a double to right center to give the Bobcats a two-run lead with one out. However, that'd be all they'd bring across after two consecutive batters struck out with the bases loaded. 

Macey Clark took to the circle to hold the Hurricanes at bay, and she did just that, recording a 1-2-3 inning. 

Madelyn Birling recorded the lone hit in the second inning, but the Bobcats failed to bring more runs across the plate.

Louisburg took advantage of that and scored five runs in the bottom of the second, aided by a Bobcat error. 

Bryant & Stratton put the pressure on Louisburg again, this time in the top of the third. Wesoloski walked and Jocelyn Bennett reached on an error. Madie Jagoditsh also reached on a single, loading the bases with no outs. Kayla Roidt stepped to the plate and recorded a RBI on a sac fly to right field. 

That's all it would bring across as the Hurricanes retired two consecutive Bryant & Stratton batters again. 

Louisburg capitalized again in its half of the inning, scoring three runs and extending the lead to 8-3.

The Bobcats threatened again, this time coming in the top of the fifth. Wesoloski walked again, and with one out, Jagoditsh singled to left field. MacyJean Cain came to the plate as a pinch hitter and reached after being hit by a pitch. But that's all they would muster following a fiedler's choice to end the inning. 

Louisburg tacked on one more run to make it a 9-3 lead, and that's how the game ended. 

Coach Dean Herman said this following the loss.

"They're a very tough team and they've been here for five years in a row and they deserve every bit of credit," Herman said. "But on the other hand, we had the bases loaded three times and didn't score runs. We could've put this game away early and we just didn't do it. The girls should be playing more free and … we've been trying to preach to the freshmen, 'It's not easy,' and I've been saying that for the last three weeks. When you get here, these are the best 20 teams in the country and you can't afford to make mistakes."

Holly Lowenberg pitched 4 1⁄3 innings in relief and assistant coach Erica Hayworth had high praise for the freshman right-hander. 

"Holly came in a difficult situation and we needed her to shut em' down and she [did]. Then we just stuck with her the rest of the game, she was hitting her spots. She's just been having the hot hand and we'll keep riding her if we have to. Macey [Clark] and Holly are interchangeable at any time so we'll kind of just roll with who has the best warm-ups and who has the best performance game by game."

Notes

Wesoloski went 1-for-2 and recorded two RBIs.

Jagoditsh went 2-for-3.

This was the Bobcats' first loss of five-plus runs this season. 

Up Next

The Bobcats' next game will be Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET.