Joshua Ties It, Sampson Walks It Off With Two Homers In 7th To Beat Oakwood

HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. – The Rust College softball program entered the final frame of Thursday's CAC doubleheader and home opener vs. Oakwood staring an 0-8 start in the face down two (7-5) when magic happened.

Kayla Townsend started things off with a bunt single and a stolen base, followed by Leona Joshua smashing a two-run, game-tying home run to dead centerfield, knotting the score at seven.

After the next two at-bats were a pop out and a strikeout, extra innings seemed imminent, but Amya Sampson was not having any of that and said "let's all go home", sailing the ball over the left field fence as the Lady Bearcats poured out of the dugout and mobbed their hero at the plate as Coach Vivians' soldiers has picked up their first dub of 2024 in dramatic fashion.

The Basics:

• Score (Game 1 – 5 Innings)
• • Oakwood – 11
  • Rust – 0
    

• Score (Game 2)
• • Rust – 8
  • Oakwood – 7

• Records
• • Rust (1-7, 1-3 Continental)
  • Oakwood (1-9, 1-1 Continental)

• Location
• • Holly Springs, Mississippi – Marshall Academy

• Series History (Since 2022)
• • Oakwood Leads 2-1 (33.3%)

• Winning Streak (Since 2022)
• • Rust (W1) | Oakwood's Last Win: February 22, 2024 (Game 1, 11-0 – 5 Innings)

Rust Top Performers:

• Sampson, the walk-off winner, proved that perseverance is key in the game of softball, entering the final plate appearance of the day 0-for-5 with three strikeouts plus a walk before the round-tripper.

• Joshua, also game two's starter in the circle for the Cats, went 2-of-5 (.400) at the dish on top of claiming the pitching victory as she gave up only one earned run while recording an incredible 14 of her 21 outs via strikeout.

• Townsend and Haley Weatherspoon both gave the Ambassadors' catchers trouble all afternoon, stealing six bases without getting caught in addition to scoring five of the team's eight runs.
  

Next:

• RC will get to bask in the glow of a thrilling win all the way until March 7 when another Continental Athletic Conference battle awaits at Crowley's Ridge at 2/4 p.m. inside Pioneer Park.

#PawsUp