The Spring Hill College Softball team won their first two games of the second day of the SIAC Conference Softball Crossover, bringing them to 4-0 in the first two days of play at Bill Noble Park in Gardendale, Ala.
With the wins, the Badgers move back over 0.500 on the season at 12-11 and remain perfect in SIAC play, pushing their record to 7-0.
Spring Hill was in extra innings against Clark Atlanta in their third game of the day, but it was suspended due to weather with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning with Clark Atlanta up to bat. Â
Game 1: Spring Hill 12, Allen 0 (F/5)
Spring Hill picked up right where they left off at Bill Noble Park, getting the bats going early and pitching a combined no-hitter to defeat Allen University, 12-0, in five innings.
Amanda Glowacki went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Meredith Fontenot was also a perfect 2-for-2, tacking on a walk to reach base three times in the game, while scoring a game-high 3 runs and driving in two of her own. Also with two-RBI days were
Meadow Villar and
McKenzie King, while
Janci Aube continued her torrid run to open the SIAC Crossover, reaching base in both of her at-bats and coming around to score both times.
Emma Curry combined with
Belle Sheffield to no-hit the Yellow Jackets. Curry earned the win, striking out 2 across 2 innings pitched while Sheffield struck out 3 in her 3 innings pitched.
Aube set the tone out of the gate, drawing a walk and being aggressive on the base paths to advance to third after a steal and a ground out. That allowed her to score the game's opening run after Fontenot singled to center field. The Badgers remained aggressive on the base paths, with Fontenot stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Those extra 60 feet proved to be crucial as Villar hit a sacrifice fly into right field that was deep enough to score Fontenot and make it 2-0 after the top of the first inning.
Another offensive outburst in the third inning saw the Badgers take their lead from 2-0 to 8-0 by the time the third out was recorded. Aube again set the table, this time with a single followed by a stolen base. Gordon would single her home and then advance to third as Allen was trying to get Aube with a play at the plate. Fontenot was hit by a pitch and then stole second again, bringing up Villar, who hit another sacrifice fly to score Gordon. After another hit batter and a walk, the bases were loaded for Glowacki. She doubled to left center, bringing in two runs, making it 6-0. King then followed with a two-run single to put Spring Hill in complete control at 8-0 after three.
Emma Sites has an RBI double in the top of the fourth to make it 9-0 and then, in the top of the fifth, the Badgers added three more runs for good measure.
Abigail Christ singled home Glowacki to make it 10-0, then came home herself on a
Natalee Curry double, pushing the lead to 11. Fontenot continued the two-out production with another RBI single, bringing the score to 12-0.
Sheffield shut the door on Allen with a quick 1-2-3 inning, fittingly ending the game on a strikeout to start Spring Hill's day off with a win.
Game 2: Spring Hill 6, Benedict 3
In what was the closest game for Spring Hill yet at the SIAC Crossover, the Badgers jumped out to a 6-0 lead before having to hold off a Benedict rally in the final innings to secure the 6-3 victory and remain perfect in Gardendale, Ala.
McKenzie King accounted for 3 of the Badgers' 8 hits in the game, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.
Bethany Ahrens had 2 hits, 1 RBI, and scored a run.
Emma Curry, after pitching the first two innings to get the win in the day's first game, pitched a complete game to earn the win and move her record to 4-3 on the season. She scattered 4 hits, allowing three runs, only one of which was earned, and struck out 8 to lead Spring Hill to the victory.
The Badgers plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning to get the early jump on Benedict. Aube led off the inning with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on a
Jesslyn Gordon single, then on a groundout to make it 1-0. Another groundout moved Gordon to third, but also recorded Spring Hill's second out of the inning. That didn't bother Ahrens as she began the 2-out rally with a RBI single, making it 2-0. Ahrens would move into scoring position on a passed ball, then score on a
Molly Pitts single to put Spring Hill up 3-0. Pitts advanced to second on a wild pitch and King followed through with a clutch single through the right side of the infield to plate Pitts and make it 4-0 early.
Oscha Carter came across on a Gordon sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 through two innings and another two-out RBI single by King had Spring Hill up 6-0 after three and looking to come away with another run-rule-shortened victory.
However, the Badger bats quieted down and Benedict had a busy fifth inning to cut Spring Hill's lead in half, from 6-0 to 6-3. They took advantage of a couple defensive miscues, turning what would have been a minimally-damaging inning and putting Benedict within striking distance of Spring Hill.
Curry didn't let the fifth inning phase her and shut down any hope of a Benedict rally with strong sixth and seventh innings. She allowed just one baserunner in the two innings, going 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, sandwiching a lineout with a pair of backwards "K" strikeouts to seal the 6-3 victory.
Spring Hill will close out the SIAC Softball Crossover with games against Edward Waters and Fort Valley State at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively, on Thursday, March 12th, before finishing its game against Clark Atlanta at 5:30 p.m.
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