LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Lindsey Wilson softball team opened its 2024 season with a split against two national tournament qualifiers from a season ago on Friday.

After a defensive battle against No. 4 Georgia Gwinnett to open the day, the Blue Raiders battled back from a four-run deficit to upset Taylor (Ind.) in the nightcap.

Freshman Melaina Tucker racked up four hits in total, while Elizabeth Funk finished with three extra-base hits to help pace the offense.  

 
Game One | Lindsey Wilson 0, No. 4 Georgia Gwinnett 2

As has been the case in the past, the first outing of the day for the Blue Raiders against the homestanding Grizzlies turned into a pitchers dual.

For Lindsey Wilson, freshman Kayden Murray made her collegiate debut and went six complete innings. Along the way she retired eight Grizzlies on strikes and forced eight fly outs while surrendering two earned runs on four hits.

Georgia Gwinnett's Annalise Jarvis kept the Blue Raiders off the scoreboard by allowing only two hits, which ended up as their only two base runners of the game.

Tucker laid down Lindsey Wilson's first hit in the top half of the third inning on a single to center field, then Funk recorded an unconventional-infield double two frames later but never made it back around.

 
Game Two | Lindsey Wilson 6, Taylor 5

A three-run seventh inning capped by a Katie Lorenz RBI-double sealed the Blue Raiders first win of the season. The late charge came in response to the Trojans' early 4-0 lead, which they picked up during their first plate appearance.

From there, it was on for Lindsey Wilson to mount a comeback, and it did not take long to get one back. A sacrifice fly-out by Natalie Shaw in the bottom leg of the first scored Madyson Jones.

After Taylor restored its four-run advantage with a run scored in the third, the Blue Raiders slowly began to chip away, starting with an RBI-double from Funk in the fourth inning to plate Kelsie Bostock.

Two innings later, Funk struck again, this time dashing home on a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 5-3.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Brylee Pickerell led off the order and reached on an infield miscue. Jones and Tucker followed with back-to-back singles before a fielder's choice off the bat of Bostock brought home Pickerell.

With the winning run aboard in pinch-runner Brooklynn Becker, Lorenz stepped up and connected on her second hit of the day to left field, plating Jones and Becker to win the game.

Sophomore Grace Adams was credited with the victory in the circle after allowing zero earned runs on four hits in 6.2 innings of relief.

 
Lindsey Wilson will see Georgia Gwinnett and Taylor again on Saturday in Lawrenceville. Game one against the Grizzlies is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST, followed by a rematch with Taylor at 1 p.m. CST.