MOUNT VERNON, Ga. – The William Carey softball team opened SSAC play in impressive fashion Friday afternoon, sweeping Brewton-Parker in a doubleheader by scores of 5–0 and 4–1.
The Lady Crusaders set the tone early in game one, striking for two runs in the top of the first inning.
Liz Cross reached base to open the game and later scored on a sacrifice fly by
Albanie Fussell.
Jayden Sawyer followed with an RBI single to give Carey a 2–0 advantage after one.
Carey added to its lead in the third inning as
Caroline Lindsey, Fussell, and Sawyer opened the frame with consecutive singles to load the bases.
Julia Shaw lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Lindsey, accounting for the lone run of the inning as the Barons escaped further damage with a groundout that left the bases loaded.
The Lady Crusaders continued to apply pressure in the fourth.
Anna Grace Shows and Cross reached base to start the inning before Lindsey delivered her second sacrifice fly of the day to bring home Shows. Fussell followed with a groundout that plated Cross, extending the lead to 5–0.
Brewton-Parker struggled to generate offense throughout the contest as Carey starter Sawyer delivered another dominant performance in the circle. The right-hander retired the first 15 batters she faced and allowed just the baserunner while recording her third no-hitter of the season.
William Carey carried its momentum into game two, once again jumping out to an early lead. In the top of the first inning,
Brooklynn Montana and Sawyer drew walks before Shaw delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to put the Lady Crusaders ahead 2–0.
After a quiet second inning, Carey added to its advantage in the third. Lindsey doubled to lead off the frame and later scored when Shaw came through again, lining a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 3–0.
Brewton-Parker responded in the bottom of the third as Tori Wright singled and came around to score on Anna Green's RBI double to left-center field, trimming the deficit to 3–1. That would be as close as the Barons would get.
Carey answered in the fifth with an insurance run. Lindsey singled and was replaced by pinch runner
Lily Bittle, who advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. Sawyer then delivered a clutch RBI single to score Bittle and push the lead back to three runs.
From there, relief pitcher
Ryanne Hornsby shut the door. Despite a bases-loaded threat in the fourth inning, Hornsby and the Carey defense kept Brewton-Parker off the scoreboard. The Barons threatened again in the seventh with multiple hits, but once more the Lady Crusaders worked out of the jam to secure the sweep.
William Carey returns to action Saturday with an SSAC doubleheader against Abraham Baldwin. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Tifton, Ga.
