Rome, GA – Southern Wesleyan swept away the Shorter Hawks on the road on Wednesday afternoon in 2-0 and 8-3 final scores. The Warriors sweep over the Hawks allowed them to claim the outright Conference Carolinas Southwest Division Championship.
The Warriors totaled four hits in the first game of the doubleheader. Chloe Smith led the team with two hits. Rebecca Lamb picked up a solo home run to jump start the scoring for the Warriors. Southern Wesleyan walked three times and Marissa Moreland had the lone stolen base of the game. Olivia Haag pitched a complete game in the circle and struck out six batters in the seven innings she pitched.
Southern Wesleyan continued to attack the plate in game two as they totaled 12 hits. Rebecca Lamb, Chloe Smith and Abby Lawson each doubled in the second game of the series. The Warriors walked four times and Marissa Moreland stole yet another base. Chloe Smith started the game in the circle for the Warriors and pitched 1.2 innings. Anicka McFarland came in to pitch in relief and struck out four batters in the 5.1 innings she pitched.
Game Vitals
Game One Final: Southern Wesleyan 2, Shorter 0
Game Two Final: Southern Wesleyan 8, Shorter 3
Records: Southern Wesleyan (33-11 / CC 21-4) Shorter (13-34 / CC 7-19)
How It Happened
Game One
Southern Wesleyan jumped out early in the first game of the double header as, with two outs, Rebecca Lamb drilled the ball out over the fence for a solo home run.
The Warriors extended their lead in the top of the sixth inning. Marissa Moreland led off by reaching first on an error by the Hawks' second baseman. With two outs, Moreland then stole second base. A single off the bat of Chloe Smith allowed Moreland to advance to third base. As Smith looked to steal second base, Moreland stole home to allow the Warriors to claim game one in a 2-0 final score.
Game Two
The Warriors were first on the board in the second game of the day. With two outs, Rebecca Lamb hit a single into left field. Chloe Smith then hit a double into left field to allow Lamb to come in to score.
Shorter answered in the bottom of the second inning as a series of singles allowed three runs to come across home plate.
Southern Wesleyan fought back in the top of the fifth inning. Marissa Moreland led off the inning by hitting a single to third base. With one out, a double off the bat of Rebecca Lamb allowed Moreland to advance to third base. Chloe Smith took a five pitch walk to load up the bases for Olivia Haag. Haag sent the ball past the third baseman for a double that brought Moreland in to score. The Warriors tied the game up at three on the next play as a wild pitch brought Lamb home. Abby Schreiner hit a single into left field to bring Smith in to score. However, an error on the relay then brought Haag in to score. Abby Lawson followed by hitting a single into left field and then an error by the pitcher allowed Maddie Crouch to reach first to load up the bases once again. Megan Ware came up to the plate and hit a single into center field to allow Schreiner to come in and score. With two outs and a new pitcher on the mound for the Hawks, Reagan Fulcher walked to allow Lawson to score and put Southern Wesleyan on top 7-3.
In the sixth inning the Warriors struck again. With two outs, Abby Schreiner walked. Abby Lawson then hit a double into right center field to bring Schreiner in to score. The Warriors went on to win game two in an 8-3 run victory over the Hawks.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will wrap up the regular season on the road as they travel to Spartanburg, SC on April 18 to take on the Converse Valkyries. They will then wait for seeding in the Conference Carolinas Championship tournament that will be held on April 23-26.
