Walters State softball kept its record at home perfect by rolling to a pair of run-rule victories over Spartanburg Methodist Wednesday afternoon.
The Lady Senators exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and captured a 10-2 triumph in the opener before pounding three straight home runs in the bottom of the first in an 11-0 rout in the nightcap.
It was the sixth home victory for Coach Larry Sauceman's team which is now 9-5 for the season. The Pioneers saw their worksheet dip to 4-14 with four of those losses coming to Walters State.
The Lady Senators had struggled on the mound in recent games but got a pair of one-hitters in the five-inning contests.
Winning hurler Lauren Brickey was the star of the second game as she smacked two home runs and a two-run double. In the opener Jessica Odom collected three hits and Kallyn Newport homered to back the pitching of Hannah Robinson.
Sauceman commented, "The bottom line is that the girls did what they had to do today to get a pair of wins. We're just working to get better every day.
"We're hoping our pitching will come around for us and we can get some people out," he added. "It was better today, but that isn't the greatest hitting team that we play.
"That's the big thing right now because we hit it a little bit and we can score some runs," Sauceman said. "We can catch and play defense pretty good and we can run a little bit. So if we can throw strikes we can be a pretty good team.
"We lost a couple games at Vol State the other day that never should have happened. We led 9-1 and wound up losing 11-10. Then we let it carry over to the next game and lost another one. We just can't have things like that."
Sauceman said, "I'm just hoping we're going to peak at the right time and that's okay if we do that."
GAME ONE
Walters State scored twice in the first as Jessica Campbell led off with a bunt single and Odom followed with an infield hit. Kasey Bennett forced the runner at second but Sydney Dukes singled in a run.
The other run scored on Brickey's sacrifice fly.
The Pioneers got one run in the top of the fourth when Alexia Lindsey reached on a throwing error and scored on a single by Savannah Fields.
In the bottom of the frame, Brickey got on by an error and Olivia Wheeler walked. Newport followed with a three-run blast, her third round-tripper of the season.
After losing pitcher Caitlyn Cox got the next two batters out Campbell and Bennett walked and Odom had a single to load the bases. A walk to Dukes and hits by Brickey and Wheeler led to five more runs crossing the plate.
Spartanburg got a run in the fifth on three walks and an error.
Odom was the only player with more than one hit.
Robinson walked five and struck out three.
GAME TWO
Brickey didn't allow a baserunner until the fourth when the umpire said she hit a batter. A leadoff single by Kerrigan Bowen in the fifth was the only other runner. Brickey didn't walk a batter and struck out three.
The offense for the Lady Senators started the same as in the opener with a bunt single, this time by Jenica Brown. Losing pitcher Emilee McAllister got the next batter out before the fireworks started.
Bennett blasted the a home run high into the trees in center field followed by solo circuit smashes by Dukes and Brickey for a quick 4-0 lead.
Wheeler walked, stole second and was sacrificed to third by Katelyn Harper. She then scored on Brown's sac fly to center field.
Brickey slammed her second homer after an infield hit by Dukes in the third. Newport and Harper had doubles and Wheeler a single as two more scored in the inning for a 9-0 advantage.
Maggie Johnson reached on a throwing error and Bennett singled with nobody out in the fourth. One out later, Brickey doubled in the final two Walters State runs.
Bennett, Dukes and Wheeler added two hits each as the Lady Senators collected a dozen in the game.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics