Rocky Mount, N.C. - North Carolina Wesleyan's softball team dropped a pair of heartbreaking extra-inning league games over the weekend, suffering a 5-4 loss to Ferrum in nine innings on Saturday and a 7-4 loss to Greensboro in eight innings on Sunday. The Panthers and Pride both earned key USA South sweeps in the process.

In Saturday's opener versus Ferrum, the two squads entered extras tied 2-2 thanks to a two-run single by freshman Logan Tollison in the fourth that erased a 2-0 Panther lead.

Playing under international tiebreak rules, the Panthers went up 3-2 in the eigth after a crucial NCWC fielding error gave FC an extra out. Wesleyan, however, answered with a Carla Matthews RBI-single in the bottom of the frame, which saw the Bishops strand the winning run at third for a second straight inning.

In the ninth, Ferrum (20-2, 4-0 USA South) plated two runs for a 5-3 lead. The Bishops were able to get one back on an RBI-single by Amanda Warley, but with runners at first and second with one out, Panther hurler Rachel Shumaker got a fielder's choice grounder and fly-out to end the game.

Sophomore Maria Seay went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored for Wesleyan, while pitcher Leanna Fann (7-3) suffered the loss despite allowing just two earned runs over nine complete.

The Panthers' Kaitlyn Culler turned in a stellar performance in the nightcap, scattering just three hits en route to a 4-0 shutout.

On Sunday, the Pride picked up where the Panthers left off, holding the Bishops to just one hit over seven innings in yet another 4-0 shutout.

Wesleyan's bats came alive in game two as the Bishops tallied nine hits in the game. NCWC took a 2-0 lead in the third when freshman Brittni Jones and sophomore Carly Creef each singled and scored. Jones, in fact, finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate.

With freshman pitcher Kelsi Bailey (3-5) just four outs away from the shutout, the Pride rallied in the sixth after another critical fielding error extended the inning. Five hits later, Greensboro (12-8, 4-0 USA South) had a 4-2 lead entering the seventh.

NCWC's Paige Pritchett sent the game to extras with a two-out, two-run double to left-center in the bottom of the frame. Ashley Tharrington and Meredith Mills had each singled to set up Pritchett's heroics, but again playing under international tiebreak rules, the Pride were able to capitalize on a pair of Bishop miscues in the eighth. GC plated a trio of runs on just one hit, securing the 7-4 win.

Wesleyan (10-8, 1-5 USA South) travels to Methodist University on Tuesday for a 4:00pm league twinbill versus the Monarchs.