Jessica Johnson provided the big blow, and Piper Young made that blow stand up as TBC Eagles Softball split the final home double-header of the season with the Tigers of NCAA Division 2 Edward Waters University. The win was the second against NAIA competition or higher within the last week as the team prepares for the final road games and the South Region Tournament.

Game 1: Eagles 4, Edward Waters 2

Johnson's game-winning hit came with the Eagles trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third. Kylea Duhig drew a walk to open the frame and advanced to second on a passed ball. Two outs later, Carlin Payne singled to center, advancing Duhig to third, and Payne took second base on the throw in.

Johnson followed with a line drive single into center that scored both base runners to give the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish.

Johnson then accounted for two more runs in the fifth. Her drive into center turned into a sacrifice fly that brought in Emma Wilen, who reached on an error to start the inning. The throw in went astray, and Taylor Foster (walk) raced home to make the score 4-1.

[Jessica Johnson: 3 RBI, game-winning hit in double-header opener]

The Tigers scored in the first on a base hit from Brooke Rice and again in the sixth on a single from Victoria Miterko. EWU then loaded the bases with two outs, but Young induced a hard ground ball to Foster at second for the threat-ending final out. Young then pitched a scoreless seventh and got the final out on a grounder to Wilen at shortstop.

Young pitched a complete game, allowing 2 earned runs on 8 hits; she walked 3 and struck out 4. Payne was 2 for 3 with a run scored, and Ashlee Shaw had 3 hits. Johnson drove in 3 runs.

Game 2: Edward Waters 16, Eagles 0

Game 2 was all EWU. The Tigers got solo home runs from Olivia Friedel and Riley Kapparis and used a 7-run first to build the lead. Montana Hunt and Jodee Matos each drove in 4 runs.

Young, Hannah Wilen and Ellarie McGatha (double) all hit safely for the Eagles, but Shai-Anne Currie did not allow a run in her five innings of work.

Remaining Schedule

The Eagles have two road double-headers remaining, both against NCAA Division 2 teams in Georgia. First, TBC visits Fort Valley State University on April 21; they finish at Albany State University on April 22. On both days, the start time is 1:00 p.m.

The South Region Tournament follows at the University of Fort Lauderdale during the week of May 5-8.