Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan swept away the Erskine Flying Fleet on Tuesday evening in 13-5 final scores in each game.

The Warriors collected 13 hits in game one with Avery Mercer leading the team with three hits.  Amberly Way and Riley Wilson each homered.  Mercer picked up two doubles, while Addi Johnson, Talissa Cannady and Wilson each had one double.  Of the 12 RBIs, Mercer had three.  Southern Wesleyan walked three times and stole four bases.  Olivia Haag started the game on the mound and pitched five innings while striking out four batters.

Southern Wesleyan recorded 11 hits in game two of the series.  Taylor Palfrey and Olivia Haag each had three hits in the game.  Haag hit her second home run of the 2024 season.  Madison Truett hit two doubles.  Behind her, Hannah Truett, Addi Johnson and Palfrey each had one double.  Johnson led the team with three RBIs.  The Warriors walked eight times and stole six bases.  Johnson had two stolen bases.  Jaelyn Montfort started the game on the mound and pitched 4.2 innings while striking out one batter.  Amberly Way came in to pitch in relief.

Game Vitals

Game One Final: Southern Wesleyan 13, Erskine 5

Game Two Final: Southern Wesleyan 13, Erskine 5

Records: Southern Wesleyan (15-11 / CC 4-1) Erskine (4-20 / CC 1-5)

How It Happened

Game One

Southern Wesleyan took the first runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning.  Addi Johnson led off with a single and then stole second base.  With Johnson in scoring position, Avery Mercer hit her first double of the afternoon down the left field line to bring Johnson in to score.  Talissa Cannady flew out to deep left field to allow Mercer to advance to third.  Mercer came in to score on a wild pitch to give the Warriors a 2-0 run lead.

Erskine tied the game up off a two run home run by Maddie Ingram in the top of the second inning.

The tie was short lived, as the Warriors pushed on in the bottom of the second.  A dropped third strike allowed Olivia Haag to reach first.  She advanced to second on a passed ball.  Riley Wilson hit a double down the left field line to bring Haag in to score.  Madison Truett followed with a single to third base to advance Wilson to third.  Truett then stole second.  With two in scoring position and no one out, Taylor Palfrey ground out to the shortstop to bring Wilson in to score and move Truett to third.  Addi Johnson hit a double down the left field line to score Truett.  Another double by Avery Mercer brought Johnson in to score and gave the Warriors a 6-2 run lead.

The Flying Fleet fought back as they hit three home runs in the top of the third inning to come back within one run of the Warriors.

The Warriors countered with a home run of their own in the bottom of the third inning as Riley Wilson hit the ball down the left field line for her fifth home run of the season.

They continued to distance themselves from the Flying Fleet in the bottom of the fourth inning.  With one out, Addi Johnson walked and then came in to score on a double to left center field by Talissa Cannady.

Southern Wesleyan plated five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Amberly Way led off the inning with a first pitch home run over the center field wall.  With one out, Riley Wilson reached on an error by the left fielder and then advanced to second on a passed ball.  Rebecca Lamb came in to pinch hit for Madison Truett and walked.  A single by Taylor Palfrey allowed pinch runner Emmy Copeland to advance to third base and brought Wilson in to score.  Palfrey advanced to second on the throw.  Addi Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring Copeland in.  Palfrey stole third base.  With Palfrey at third, Avery Mercer hit a single through the left side to bring her in to score.  Chalee Roper came in to pinch run for Mercer and then stole second base before advancing to third on a passed ball.  Talissa Cannady followed with a single up the middle to bring Roper in and give the Warriors a 13-5 run victory in game one.

Game Two

Southern Wesleyan took the first runs of game two as they plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Taylor Palfrey led off with a single to third base and then advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Addi Johnson reached first on an error by the first baseman that allowed Palfrey to come in to score.  Johnson then stole second.  Avery Mercer walked.  With one out and two on, Hannah Truett hit a double to center field to bring both runners in to score.  Olivia Haag hit a single to center field to bring Truett in to score to give the Warriors a 4-0 run lead.

In the bottom of the second inning, the Warriors scored again.  Madison Truett led off with a double to right center field and then advanced to third on a ground out by Taylor Palfrey.  Addi Johnson walked to put runners on the corners.  Truett stole home to extend the Warriors lead to 5-0.

The Warriors would not relent their attacks at the plate as they brought four more runs in to score in the bottom of the third.  Hannah Truett led off the inning with a walk.  With one out and Chalee Roper pinch running for Truett, Olivia Haag laid down a sacrifice bunt to allow Roper to advance to second.  A wild pitch put Roper on third.  Riley Wilson then walked and stole second base.  A walk to Madison Truett loaded up the bases.  Taylor Palfrey hit a single to third base to bring Roper in to score.  With the bases loaded, Addi Johnson hit a bases clearing double to deep center field to extend Southern Wesleyan's lead to 9-0.

Erskine brought two runs in to score on a two-run home run by Patterson in the top of the fourth inning.

However, Olivia Haag drilled the ball over the left field wall to hit the scoreboard and extend the Warriors lead to 10-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Flying Fleet were not done as with two on, Taylor came in and hit a home run right down the left field line to put them back within five runs of the Warriors.

Southern Wesleyan pushed on as they scored again in the bottom of the fifth inning.  With one out, Taylor Palfrey hit a double down the left field line and then stole third base.  Avery Mercer and Talissa Cannady had back-to-back walks to load up the bases.  Abby Schreiner was hit by a pitch to bring in the Warriors eleventh run of the game.

The Warriors took an eight run advantage in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the game.  Olivia Haag led off the inning by hitting a single to center field.  Riley Wilson hit a single through the right side to allow Haag to advance to second.  With no one out and two on, Madison Truett hit a bases clearing double to deep center field to give the Warriors a 13-5 run victory over the Flying Fleet.

What's Next

Southern Wesleyan will travel to Spartanburg, SC on March 23 to take on the Converse Valkyries.  They will then return home on March 27 to take on the Emmanuel Lions.  The Warriors will take on the Lander Bearcats on April 2.