Raleigh, N.C. - North Carolina Wesleyan softball opened the USA South Conference Tournament with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over William Peace on Thursday afternoon, using timely hitting and a strong performance in the circle to advance.
The Battling Bishops struck first in the opening inning when Kyiah Simmons tripled to right center and drove in Brooke Markiewicz to take an early 1-0 lead. After several scoreless innings, Wesleyan added to its advantage in the fifth, capitalizing on a key opportunity as Caleigh Warf reached on an error before Ragan Holloman delivered an RBI double. Brooke Markiewicz followed with another RBI double to push the lead to 3-0.
William Peace made things interesting late, scoring two runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to one, but the Bishops held firm down the stretch. Ava Strickland was outstanding in the circle, tossing a complete game while allowing just four hits and two runs (one earned) to earn the win.
Offensively, Kyiah Simmons led the way with three hits, while Holloman and Markiewicz each recorded RBI doubles as Wesleyan totaled six hits in the contest. The win marked a strong start for the Battling Bishops in tournament play, combining clutch hitting with steady pitching to secure the opening-round victory.
