Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 MOBILE, Ala.—The (RV) William Woods University softball team snapped its three game skid against (RV) Universiy of Mobile, taking game one 6-3, but dropped the nightcap, falling 7-6 in 8 innings.
William Woods University 6 University of Mobile 3
After three scoreless innings, the Owls (17-12; 5-1 AMC), jumped out to a one-run lead in the fourth inning, as
Lindsey LeCuru got the offense going with a one out single to left and she was able to advance to second after
Alexi Cavins singled to shallow leftfield.
The runners then moved up a base after a passed ball and
Lindsey LeCuru was able to score on
Macy Wierschem laying down her bunt attempt, to put the Owls ahead by one.
In the top of the sixth, the Owls scored five runs on three hits and were helped out by three Lady Rams defensive errors. After a single and an error to start the inning, Wierschem grounded out to third, which brought home
Lindsey LeCuru, who led the inning off with the single, to give WWU a 2-0 advantage.
The team extended its lead to 3-0, after
Madison McCormick's sacrifice bunt scored pinch-runner
Sam Parsons.
Hannah Campbell then doubled to right-center, scoring two more runs and the Owls pushed the lead out to five and finally
Shelby LeCuru capped the inning off with a single to center, scoring
Sydnae Hatton, who reached on a bunt single, to put WWU well ahead at 6-0.
The Lady Rams (14-12; 6-2 SSAC), threatened in the bottom of the seventh scoring three runs on three hits, but the comeback was not to be, as starter
MacKenzie Bowden got the last batter to ground out and the senior was able to pick up her 10
th victory on the season.
The Owls offense, which has struggled as of late, rattled off six runs on nine hits, led by freshman Campbell going 2-for-4 at the leadoff spot and totaling a team-high two RBI.
Lindsey LeCuru also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while
Shelby LeCuru, Wierschem, Begemann and Hatton added one hit each.
On the hill, Bowden shut down the Lady Rams offense all game until the seventh, but still only allowed three runs (zero earned) on five hits and struck out six batters.
Alexa Da Rosa led the Lady Rams offense going 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Anna Blake Barnette also went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
University of Mobile 7 William Woods University 6 (8 innings)
In game two, it was the Lady Rams scoring first, as Jordan Coleman reached base on an Owls error, which scored Barnette from first, who led the inning off with a single, to give University of Mobile a 1-0 advantage. The team added another run off the bat Jessica Rogers single to center, scoring Emily Vickery from third and were up 2-0.
The Owls, however, responded in the top of the second, as Hatton's single to right, scored Wierschem to cut the Lady Rams lead down to one run. Campbell then followed her teammate up with a single of her own, scoring McCormick from third and tying the game up at 2-2.
The Lady Rams were able to retake its lead in the home half of the second and were able to extend its 3-2 lead, to 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs on three hits against Owls hurler
Becca Schemmer.
That four run lead wasn't safe against the WWU offense in the top of the sixth, as pinch-hitter
Caroline Sicht and Hatton reached base to start the inning on back-to-back walks.
After Campbell grounded out which moved the runners up a base, pinch-hitter
Hillary Hentges doubled to right-center field, scoring Sicht and Hatton, which put the team down 6-4. After a
Kacey Scharnhorst single,
Lindsey LeCuru followed that up with another single, bringing home another run and now the Owls were down by one at 6-5.
Wierschem then smacked a double to deep right field, the teams' fourth straight hit, to score Scharnhorst and tie the game up yet again at 6-6.
Neither team was able to break the tie in the seventh, so it was off to extra innings for the second time in four games for the Owls. The Owls couldn't take the lead in the top of the eighth, so the Lady Rams had the chance to put the game away in bottom of the inning.
Da Rosa led the inning off with a sacrifice bunt, which advanced Allie Luster to third base. Luster was on second base to start the inning due to international tie-breaker rules.
Barnette then singled to left-center, scoring Luster and the Lady Rams were able to take game two by one run, handing WWU a tough loss.
The offense totaled six runs on 10 hits, with Campbell, Scharnhorst, and Wierschem each totaling two hits in the game and combining for two RBI, while on the mound, Schemmer went 6 2/3 innings, allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits and struck out five.
Bowden, who came on in relief of Schemmer in the bottom of the seventh, took the loss, going 2/3 innings, allowing one run (zero earned) on one hit and struck out one.
The Lady Rams were led by Barnette, Jessica Rogers and Da Rosa combining for six hits and five RBI in the game, while reliever Alyssa Kornegay got the win, going 2 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on one hit and struck out four.
The Owls don't have long to rest, as they are back in action tomorrow night in Hattiesburg, Miss., against No. 9-ranked William Carey University. First-pitch will be thrown at 4 p.m.
The Lady Crusaders (24-2; 7-1 Southern State Athletic Conference), moved up to No. 9 in the recent NAIA top 25 poll, as the team has only suffered one loss in the last month. The team was on a season-high 20-game winning streak, until University of Mobile defeated William Carey 3-0 back on Mar. 21.
Since the loss, the team is on a three game winning streak, outscoring its opponents 12-3. On the season, the offense is batting .370, led by Jasmine Shelby hitting .446 (33-for-74), with 18 runs scored and 19 RBI.
Relanda McFarland is second on the team in hitting with a .429 average through 26 games played, leading the team in runs scored (29) and fifth in RBI (16). Lauren Russell (.420 avg) and Sarah Beckman (.410 avg) are also batting over .400 on the season and have combined for 33 RBI.
On the mound, opposing hitters are batting just .220 against the duo of Brittany LeBlanc and Brittany Lang. LeBlanc leads the way with a 1.27 ERA to go along with her 13-1 record in 83 innings pitched and has struck out 68 batters, while Lang is 11-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 76 innings pitched and has 10 complete games.
Fans stay updated on wwuowls.com tomorrow night for a full recap and score from Hattiesburg, Miss.
