NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Following their season-opening win over VTSU Johnson earlier in the day, the Bucs took on VTSU Lyndon in their second game of the day on Thursday. Behind a 4-for-4 performance from freshman Natalie Gale at the plate, the Bucs swatted the Hornets by a final of 10-5.

The Basics

Final: Buccaneers 10, Hornets 5

Records: Maritime 2-0

               VTSU Lyndon 0-4

In The Circle

Maritime: Ashleigh Catlett (W, 1-0): 7 IP | 5 R | 2 ER | 2 BB | 2 K

Lyndon: Emily Anderson (L, 0-1): 4 IP | 12 H | 8 R | 8 ER | 4 BB | 2 K

Inside The Numbers

Maritime

• Natalie Gale went 4-for-4 in her second game in a Bucs uniform with a double, three RBI ad a run scored. 
• Reagan Kerecz kept her hot day at the plate going with a 4-for-5 performance in the win. She had a double, RBI, two runs scored and stole three bases. 
• Sarah Holler had a three-hit performance with an RBI nad a run scored.
• Kelsey Booker went 2-for-4 in the game with a triple, two RBI, and two runs scored. 
• Lillian Ross added two hits for the Bucs with an RBI and two runs scored and the pitcher, Catlett, added a hit as well.
• Catlett and Ryan McDonald each had a stolen base in the win.

Lyndon

• Lindsey Gannon led the Hornets with two hits in the game.
• Ann Watkins, Claudia Knapp, Riley McNamara, Blake Southworth, and Kazandra Gonzalez each had one hit. 
• Knapp drove in two runs in the loss and Gannon and Shyanne Glencross each had one RBI.
• Watkins scored twice in the game with Gannons, Southworth, and Gonzalez each scoring once.

How It Happened

Lyndon took the lead with a two-run inning in the first. Knapp singled to score Watkins and Glencross drove in Gannon on a ground out to second. The lead didn't last long for the Hornets as the Bucs scored four of their own in the home half of the inning. Gale doubled to right with the bases loaded and drove in Holler, Booker, and Ross to give the Bucs a 3-2 advantage. Burton then grounded out to second and scored Gale from third to make it 4-2 Bucs after one.

The Hornets tied the game in the top of the second inning at 4-4. Gannon drove in Gonzalez first to make it 4-3 followed by a Knapp ground out to third that brought in Watkins. In the bottom of the second, Maritime took the lead for the second time scoring three times in the inning. Ross singled through the right side to bring in Kerecz and then Booker tripled to right to score Ross and herself on an arrant throw in from the outfield. The Bucs led 7-4 after two innings of play.

The dust settled in the third with neither team scoring in the inning but the Bucs were able to extend their lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a bases-loaded walk of Makynzi Sprague that brought in pinch runner Camryn Whitman to score. The Bucs led 8-4 after four. 

In the fifth, the Bucs added another run to go up 9-4 when Holler singled to center field and drove in Kerecz running the score to 9-4 Maritime after five.

Lyndon got a run back in the top of the sixth inning when Southworth scored on a wild pitch and the Hornets trailed by four, 9-5. Maritime got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a single from Kerecz that scored McDonald and the Bucs led 10-5 after six.

Catlett came out and shut down the Hornets in the seventh and the Buccaneers preserved their second win of the day, 10-5, over Lyndon.

What's Next

The Buccaneers are back at it on Friday with a doubleheader against SUNY Delhi in Myrtle Beach at 12 and 2pm.