The Guilford College softball team welcomed Pfeiffer University to Haworth Field to kickoff the 2022 season. The Quakers fell to the Falcons in both games, 8-3 in game one and 9-5 in game two.

Game 1: Pfeiffer 8, Guilford 3

In the first inning, Pfeiffer's first two at-bats grounded out before Caiti Mickles doubled off the left field wall. After a walk, Morgan Kinney got the next batter to ground out. Guilford's first time at the plate began with a Kassidy Lancos single.

A sacrifice bunt and ground out, Lancos was standing on third with two outs. Nikki Tuttle drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Casey Bunting. Bunting hit a chopper to third base that forced an error as Lancos scored to give GC the 1-0 lead.

A leadoff walk start the top of the second for the Falcons. Two errors on the next at-bat allowed Jaci Cook to reach third. Kinney was able to get the next batter to ground into a double play but Cook scored the tie the game at one. The sophomore pitcher then struck out Adison Campbell to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the second, Kinney led off with a single through the left side. After a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball, Kinney was standing on third with one out. Following a ground out, Lancos drove in Kinney with a single of her own to put the Quakers ahead 2-1 going to the third. 

In the third, Pfeiffer opened up scoring with three runs on four hits and an error to take its first lead of the game, 4-2. Guilford was not able to answer in its half of the third. The Falcons expanded their lead in the fourth with four runs on three walks, two hits and an error. The visitors were now in front by six (8-2).

Alexis Lester lef Guilford's half of the fourth with a single to center field. Moving to second on a passed ball, Lester was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Bowman. Later in the inning, Lancos drove in her second run of the game with another single, this time to center field. That was the only run the Quakers drove in and trailed 8-3 going to the fifth.

Both squads went down in order in the fifth as Pfeiffer only got one hit in the sixth. Guilford looked primed to strike in the sixth with the bases loaded but it was not able cut the deficit.

In the seventh, the Falcons left a runner on second after a walk and a stolen base. Unfortunately the Quakers were not able to add any runs as they fell by five in game one.

Lancos went a perfect 4-4 from the plate with two RBI and scoring once. Kinney started in the circle and went 3.1 innings allowing eight runs (four earned) on six hits and four walks.

Game 2: Pfeiffer 9, Guilford 5 (F/8)

The Falcons wasted little getting on the board in the second game as they capitalized on three walks with a single to left field. PFU scored two runs on the lone hit. In Guilford's bottom half of the first, Lancos led off with a walk followed by a double by Caitlyn Ray.

Ally Morales hit a deep fly ball to center that allowed Lancos to tag-up and cut the deficit to one (2-1).

In the second, neither team crossed homeplate but the Quakers had the best chance but left three runners on base. Third began with the Falcons leaving a runner on after a lead off single. 

Guilford tried to even the score and had a quality chance with runners on the corners with one out. Shiloh Gray stepped to the plate and singled to bring home Alli Clemens to tie the game at two.

Pfeiffer went scoreless in the next three innings as the Quakers had their sights on the lead. Clemens led the bottom of the fifth with a double down the right field line as Ally Coker came in to pinch run.

Coker moved up to third on a passed ball. Cierra Martin pushed Coker across the plate with a sacrifice fly to left to give her team a 3-2 lead.

Moving to the bottom of the sixth, Emma Patterson and Lancos went back-to-back with bunt singles. After a wild pitch moved both runners up, Ray lifted a ball to right as the right fielder was not able to corral the ball allowing Patterson to score from third. GC led 4-2 going to the final scheduled frame.

Down to their final three outs, the Falcons began to rally. The inning started with a walk and a stolen base. Ashlyn Kennedy doubled to right center score a run and bring the game within one run. After an intentional walk and another walk, PFU had a sacrifice fly to tie the game (4-4). 

GC went down in order to end the seventh and send the game to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, the Falcons exploded for five runs on five hits to go ahead 9-5. In the bottom half of the inning, the Quakers were only able to muster one run before ultimately falling, 9-5.

Gray started for GC as she went 7.2 innings, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and seven walks.

Guilford (0-2) will travel to Raleigh, N.C. to face the Pacers of William Peace on Saturday, February 19. Game one is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.