ANDERSON, S.C. - For the second time in a week, the Anderson University softball team swept Southern Wesleyan, 6-1 and 3-1, in non-conference action Wednesday evening at Smethers Field.
Anderson has won nine of its last 10 and improved to 24-4 with the sweep, while Southern Wesleyan fell to 6-12
Game #1
Anderson 6, Southern Wesleyan 1
The Trojans wasted no time getting on the scoreboard - picking up
one run in the opening inning. With freshman Jessica Neidigh on
third base, Abby Child hit a one-out RBI single through the left
side to give Anderson the early lead.
Southern Wesleyan answered in the second inning with a lone run off of a hit and a costly Trojan error. Courtney Moore singled in Tish Winchester - three at-bats after the shortstop reached on the AU miscue. The base knock knotted the game up at one.
Anderson retook the lead in the third inning, again producing a run off three base hits. Child singled up the middle, scoring Neidigh for the second consecutive time. The duo sent the Trojans into the fourth inning clinging to a 2-1 lead.
The Trojans exploded for four runs in the fourth inning by denting the scoreboard with four hits. Freshman Bri Cason started the hit parade with a one-out double that was misplayed by the Warrior outfield. Brooke Lucas kept things going with a single during the next at-bat. One out later, Neidigh singled down the leftfield line to score Cason. The next batter, Rebecca Martin, singled through the left side to score Lucas. The fourth run came during the next at-bat when a Warrior throwing error allowed Neidigh to score, giving Anderson the 5-1 advantage.
The Trojans stole another run in the fifth inning off one hit. With two outs and a runner on third, Cason knocked in her first RBI of the afternoon, sending the base-hit up the middle.
Larissa Ostapiak was stellar for the Trojans in her 14th start of the season. The freshman pitched her 13th complete game of the season, giving up just one unearned run.
The Trojans successfully recorded four multi-hit batters in game one. Neidigh went a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI. Child went 2-for-3 with two RBI, bringing her RBI total to 30 on the season.
Game #2
Anderson 3, Southern Wesleyan 1
Neidigh kept up the hot bat in the nightcap, notching three singles
in four at-bats and scoring once.
The Warriors plated their lone run of the game with two outs in the top of the first inning, when Becca McGuire was hit by an errant pitch from AU hurler Amber Duncan (11-2) with the bases loaded to force home Candace Graves.
The Trojans answered in the second by scoring three runs off just two hits, taking advantage of Warrior defensive lapses. With bases loaded and one out, Neidigh laced a single back up the middle to score both Rachel Rhodes and Bri Cason. The bases were still loaded when Child lifted a sacrifice fly to center that was deep enough to score Brooke Lucas.
The game was a pitchers' duel the rest of the way, as both hurlers combined to allow just six singles over the final five innings.
Duncan worked out of a two-out bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning en route to her second straight win. The right-hander notched five strikeouts, while walking four in six innings of work. Ostapiak pitched the seventh and gave up just one hit
Anderson gets back into South Atlantic Conference action by playing host to Catawba on Friday. The doubleheader is slated to get underway at 2 p.m. at Smethers Field.
