LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Shorter University compiled 20 hits on its way to a 9-1 victory over West Alabama in game one of a Gulf South Conference softball double-header on Saturday. The Tigers closed the hitting margin in game two, but errors proved costly as the Hawks completed the sweep with a 12-3 win.
Shorter improves to 26-17 overall and 17-12 in the GSC. The losses drop West Alabama to a six game losing skid, falling to 16-29 and 6-24.
The Hawks took an early one run lead with an RBI double by Kameron Carter in the top of the first inning. UWA kept pace early with a run on a Shorter error in the bottom of the inning.
After retaking a 2-1 lead in the third, SU extended its lead with seven runs in the final three innings. Five of Shorter's were good for extra bases; all doubles. Carter tallied two doubles, hitting 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run. Peyton Barthel led with three runs, hitting 3-for-5 with an RBI and one double.
Briana Buie gave the Tigers their first hit of the day with a double in the second inning. She went on to finish 1-for-3 at the plate. UWA added three more hits in the sixth, but were unable to score leaving three stranded on base.
"If you don't take care of the softball, you're never going to have a chance to win," said UWA head coach
Will Atkinson. "We worked around base-runners all day long, but we weren't able to string anything together and we left several runs on base. They just got it done in the first game."
Payton Lippert (14-9) picked up the win in game one, pitching a complete game. She struck out three batters, while allowing one run on four hits.
Ashley Stassin (5-6) opened the first five innings allowing four earned runs on 14 hits to take the loss.
Allie Kelley entered in the six, giving up four more earned runs on six hits.
The Tigers out-hit Shoter 8-7 in game two, but the Hawks took advantage of three early errors by the UWA infield to score 10 runs on five hits in the top of the first.
West Alabama took to the board in the third inning on a two run home run by
Kristen Bittle; her third of the year.
Ashlend Rodriguez gave the Tigers three runs with an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth, but the Hawks added runs in the top of the third and fifth to insure victory.
Carter added a two run homer to her at-bats on the day in the first, finishing game two 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Kendall Johnson posted five RBI with a double and a single as well as two runs.
Hannah Draper (8-6) hurled the win in the circle for the Hawks in game two, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and walking four batters.
Andrea Edmonds (8-8) gave up eight unearned runs in the first before being deposed by
Amanda Medders in the same inning to take the loss.
"In the second game, we kick around the first three ground balls in the infield and couldn't make a play," Atkinson said.
"I'm not sure we even gave up an earned run in the first inning. Outside of that, we outscored them 3-2 for the rest of the game. Medders gave us a chance in the circle. Edmonds got put into a lot of pressure with the defense missing those plays early on. We just have to do a better job of taking care of the softball. That seems like it's really been the story this year. We pitched and hit well enough to win but we just didn't play defense. This isn't a league where you can get by with just two of the three."
West Alabama Softball will wrap up the series on Sunday with "Military Day" to honor United States active and veteran military members. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
