Box Score BOTETOURT, Va.- Southern Wesleyan registered ten hits in its 3-2 eight-inning win against Oakland City.
The Warriors (23-30) struck first in the bottom of the first inning as Allison Barbee singled to score Sara Sweatt. The Lady Oaks (16-22) tied the game in the top of the third as they scored one run. Sweatt regained the lead for Southern Wesleyan with her second home run of the season to make it a 2-1 game. Oakland City responded with a solo home run of their own in the top of the fifth. Both teams had a chance to win the game before going to extra innings as they left a combined five runners on base to send the game to extra innings.
The Warriors forced two ground outs and a strikeout in the top of the eighth to give themselves a shot to win the game. In the bottom of the eighth, Barbee reached based off of an error by the third baseman. She advanced to second on a single by Lizzie Fela. Then Ashleigh Wilbur grounded into a double play that moved Barbee to third while putting Fela out at second base. Katie Byrd hit a walk-off single to left field to drive in Barbee and win the game.
Barbee went 2-for-4 with one RBI, one run, and a double. Sweatt batted 1-for-3 with two runs, one RBI, and a home run. Byrd went 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Hunter Hoskins (13-10) picked up a school record 13th win of the season as she pitched 3.1 innings of relief, allowed two hits, and had three strikeouts.
Southern Wesleyan now advances to play against Belhaven in the semifinals at 6 p.m. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Mississippi College-Judson University game in the championship game on Friday.
