By Wesley Evans

BUENA VISTA, Va. – Playing its final games of the 2014 season, the Southern Virginia University softball team fell in both contests of a twinbill against Bridgewater College by respective scores of 8-1 and 9-1 Saturday afternoon at Harvey-Dryden Field in Buena Vista, Va.

Between games, senior infielder Sara Harmon and fourth-year head coach Duste Grawrock were honored as they both participated in their final games as members of Southern Virginia softball program.

In game one, Bridgewater jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the second after both teams were held scoreless in the first. The Eagles would go on to score one more in the fourth off a Karie Burgess RBI single – her third of the day.

Southern Virginia responded with a run its own in the bottom half. Freshman catcher Katie Evans started things off with a single followed by Cheyenne Hegsted getting a hit-by-pitch. A McKenzie Packard fly out moved Evans to third before Cassandra Pacheco put the ball in play to score Evans, giving the Knights their first and only run of the game.

Bridgewater put up two more runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to secure the win. Brianna Cox earned the victory in the circle for the Eagles, going the distance while giving up just one run on four hits and striking out four.

Starting pitcher Jamie Pinkston took the loss in the decision for Southern Virginia, giving up five runs on six hits while walking three in 2.2 innings pitched.

The Eagles offense kept things going in game two as it put up nine runs off the Knight pitching staff, highlighted by three homeruns from Burgess, Brea Hinegardner and Samantha Bird.

Bridgewater scored two in the top of the first off Hinegardner's two-run blast, but Southern Virginia answered in the bottom half when Packard pushed an RBI single up the middle to score Evans.

The Knights were kept at bay the rest of the day by starting pitcher Haley Harris, who allowed only four hits while pitching the complete five-inning game.

MaKenzie Cox, Hegsted and Pinkston picked up the other three hits for Southern Virginia. Pinkston took the loss in game two giving up two runs on two hits in 3.0 innings of work.

With the loss, Southern Virginia finishes the season with a 5-26 record, while Bridgewater improves to 20-17-1.