SAVANNAH, Ga. – Despite the UNCP softball team holding the lead throughout a majority of the game, nationally-ranked Armstrong Atlantic effectively placed three base hits and utilized an error in the bottom of the ninth for the game-winning run and comeback victory, 11-10, in Peach Belt Conference action on  Sunday afternoon.

The Lady Braves (19-30, 5-15 PBC) suffered their fourth-straight conference loss of the season, while No. 3 Armstrong (30-5-1, 13-3) has won eight of the last nine games this season. The Black and Gold out-hit the Pirates by three as UNCP ended the contest with 16 hits.

Junior Taylor Cloninger went 4-for-5 from behind the plate with three runs and five RBI, while sophomore Brea Hartley collected three hits, two RBI and one run. Sophomore Megan Hillard, senior Kellie Van Dyke and freshman Whitney Jackson notched two hits apiece. Alexis Mercer led the Pirates with three hits, two runs and four RBI, while Shelby Duff and Haley Ellis each had two hits.

Senior Starr Gilley (8-11) completed eight innings in the middle for the Lady Braves and allowed nine runs (six earned) on 10 hits in 38 batters faced, while also striking out two. Junior Natalie Klemann clinched two outs after giving up two home runs during the fourth and fifth innings. Gilley held the Pirates to only three batters per inning in the first three innings.

Senior Megan Barnwell (19-3) grabbed the win after pitching the final 4-2/3 innings following Duff going the first inning and Rachel Reynolds spending 3-1/3 innings in the middle for the Pirates during the game. Duff allowed the first four earned runs on four hits, while Reynolds gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and Barnwell allowed three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts.

With a tied score after seven complete innings and no runs scored in the eighth, Cloninger opened up the ninth inning with her second home run of the game to put the Black and Gold ahead by a score of 10-9, but the Pirates made up ground in the bottom of the inning by scoring two runs for the win. Armstrong used back-to-back singles and a fielder's choice to put runners on base and with an overthrow to first by the pitcher, the tying run crossed home plate. The final at-bat drove in the game-winning run as a single ended the game for squads.

The Lady Braves started the contest with two runs in the first inning as Cloninger walked in her first at-bat and moved around the bases to score on an error by the catcher, before senior Holley Berry reached on a fielder's choice and tagged home plate on Hillard's single to right center field. Again in the second inning, UNCP put another two runs on the board after sophomore Karlee Wilson walked prior to Jackson's single up the middle. Cloninger sent the two runners home on her double to left field for two RBI. 

UNCP extended the lead to six runs after Kaytee Wilson and Berry each singled through the left side. Hartley drove in Kaytee Wilson with her double and Hillard brought around Berry on her single to left field. The Pirates cut the lead to one run in the fourth inning with five runs scored including two home runs that drove in four runs, while the other score came on an error by the third baseman.

In the fifth inning, Van Dyke took advantage of an error to reach first and was sent home on Cloninger's single to centerfield. Armstrong's Duff took the score to 7-6 in favor of UNCP with a leadoff home run over left field. UNCP continued to hold the lead as Hartley blasted a leadoff homer in the top of the sixth, but Armstrong rallied back to come to within one run at the end of the inning.

With an 8-7 score, Cloninger sent her first homer of the game along the left field line for a two run lead, but in the bottom of the seventh, Mercer's homer over left centerfield tied the game prior to Duff reaching on an error which sent the game into extra innings.

The Lady Braves will continue on the road when the squad battles regional foe Mount Olive (23-7) for the second doubleheader matchup of the year on Tuesday with first pitch set for 5 p.m.