PEMBROKE -Bladenboro native Abbey Walters blasted a triple and a double, pitched 5 strong innings to pick up the win and scored the winning run as UNC-Pembroke edged Peach Belt Conference foe Augusta 4-3 Monday in the second game of a double-header.
Walters batted 3-3 in the nightcap and scored twice. For the double-header, she was 4-5 at the plate.
In the Monday’s opener, Katie Saunders pitched a 2-hit shutout to pick up the 1-0 victory for UNC-Pembroke. Walters was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the opener and led off the sixth by smacking a single to the opposite field to finish 1-2 at the plate.
Walters hammered a triple to centerfield in the first inning of the nightcap but was stranded at third base. The junior righthander took over in the circle in the third inning with the Lady Braves trailing 2-0 and allowed a run on a single, a walk and a throwing error.
In the third inning, Walters ripped a double to left-centerfield but was left on base. Savannah Melvin and Lexie Coxe walloped solo home runs in the fourth inning to trim the Augusta lead to 3-2.
Walters drew a lead-off walk, stole second and raced home on Toni Nelson’s double to tie the game in the fifth inning. In the Lady Brave seventh, Walters belted a lead-off single and stole second base again. Taylor Gephart delivered a walk-off double that scored Walters with the game-winner.
Walters picked up the pitching victory to even her record at 5-5 and lower her team-best earned run average to 3.23. The West Bladen grad allowed only one run on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out six.
Last Tuesday Walters pitched 3 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief to pick up a 6-4 victory at Barton.
In Sunday’s double-header split with Georgia College, Walters slammed 2 doubles, scored 3 runs and drove in one in the Lady Braves 6-3 victory in the second game.
For the season Walters now leads the Lady Braves in batting average (.428), on-base percentage (.444), slugging percentage (.669), hits (62), doubles (16), runs batted in (30) and stolen bases (23). She is tied for the team-lead in home runs (5) and is second in runs scored (31).
The Lady Braves, now 20-21-1 overall and 8-8 in the PBC, will host Wingate Wednesday in a double-header that will start at 2 p.m.
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