Rocky Mount, N.C. - North Carolina Wesleyan softball opened the 2026 home season Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader against Guilford at Edge Field. Despite a pair of competitive contests in front of the home crowd, the Battling Bishops dropped the opener 3-2 and battled to a 3-3 tie in game two, which was called after six innings due to darkness.
In game one, Wesleyan fell behind early before mounting a strong response in the fourth inning. After Guilford built a 3-0 advantage, the Bishops cut into the deficit behind timely hitting from Kyiah Simmons, who doubled to right field to spark the rally. Kayla Simmons followed with an RBI single to bring home a run, and Savannah Bain added another RBI knock to trim the margin to 3-2. Aleah Jones and Ava Strickland each recorded hits in the contest as Wesleyan totaled six on the afternoon. In the circle, Strickland started and worked four innings before Addyson Romanczyk delivered three scoreless innings of relief to keep the Bishops within one. Wesleyan threatened in the bottom of the seventh, placing the tying run on third, but a final flyout sealed the narrow 3-2 decision.
The second game saw the Bishops jump on the scoreboard early. Jones reached to open the bottom of the first and came around to score on a triple to center from Ragan Holloman. Wesleyan added another run in the second inning when Caroline Warf crossed the plate, extending the lead to 2-0. Guilford answered with two runs in the fifth to tie the contest before taking a brief lead in the sixth. The Bishops responded immediately, as Frances Hanshew singled and later scored on Holloman's second RBI of the game to even the score at 3-3. Holloman finished with two hits and two RBI to lead the offense, while Wesleyan again collected six hits as a team. Kendall Wallace worked five innings in the circle, allowing two runs, and Romanczyk handled the sixth inning in relief. With darkness setting in at Edge Field, the game was called after six innings, ending the home opener in a hard-fought tie.
The doubleheader showcased the resilience of the Battling Bishops in their first appearance at Edge Field this season, as Wesleyan battled until the final out in both contests.
