MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — Walters State allowed just two runs in Friday's home doubleheader against visiting Dyersburg State, claiming both games to begin the four-game Tennessee Community College Athletic Association series at the Walters State Softball Complex.
The Lady Eagles scored their runs in their final at-bats in each game, as the Lady Senators controlled both games in claiming a 9-1 victory in five innings in the opener before picking up a 4-1 win in the nightcap. WSCC belted four home runs on the day in keeping a solid hold on second place in the league standings.
With the sweep, the Lady Senators are now 24-15 on the year and 16-7 in TCCAA action. The losses dropped the Lady Eagles to 19-12 overall and 11-10 in league play.
In the opener, Walters State took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run homer from Emily Whitaker, her second of the year, and the lead expanded the following frame when Lauren Brickey tattooed a three-run towering home run to left-center, her fourth of the season, and Whitaker drilled her second homer of the day and third of the year to make it 6-0 after three complete innings.
The Lady Senators added to the margin in the bottom of the fourth, as Sydney Fox led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a grounder and scored on an RBI single by Kallyn Newport. Keeley Quillen followed with a rocket over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer, her 10th of the campaign, to make it a 9-0 lead.
Dyersburg State got on the board in the top of the fifth off WSCC starting pitcher Delilah Malczewski, who allowed two singles in the third inning before giving up two more in the fifth around an error in giving up an unearned run with one out in the frame. Malczewski eventually loaded the bases but got a grounder back to the circle to end the game.
Malczewski picked up the win after scattering four hits with the unearned run in five innings.
In the nightcap, Brickey manned the circle for the Lady Senators and did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, which came after her teammates handed her the lead in the bottom of the third. Taylor Henson was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, moved to second on a grounder and scored on a two-out RBI double by Newport for a 1-0 lead.
After allowing a two-out single but no damage in the top of the fourth, Brickey was staked to another run from the Lady Senator offense in the home half of the inning. Taylor McConnell singled to lead off the frame before moving up a base on a ground ball. After a Henson walk, Sydney Fox ripped an RBI single to make it 2-0. It could have been more, as WSCC loaded the bases only to not add another run in the inning.
Taylor McConnell doubled the lead in the bottom of the fifth with one swing of the bat, as her third homer of the year, a two-run shot, pushed the lead to 4-0.
Dyersburg State got a pair of base runners on a single and an error in the sixth before Brickey worked out of the jam, but a leadoff homer from Taylor Travis in the seventh saved the Lady Eagles from being shut out. Brickey got the final three batters out to end the game and claim the opening sweep.
The two teams are scheduled for a doubleheader at noon on Saturday to close the series.