TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Stillman College softball wrapped up its home non-conference schedule Saturday with a sweep of the Mississippi University for Women Owls 7-3 and 10-2.
The wins, paired with two forfeit wins over Talladega College for the Southern States Athletic Conference games scheduled March 31, moves Stillman to 24-8 overall on the season. It is the program's second-highest win total in program history with 17 regular season games remaining.
Stillman tallied 25 hits on the day, marking the third time this season to collect more than 10 games in both sides of a doubleheader.
The Tigers had three home runs on the day, bringing the season total to seven.
GAME 1: STILLMAN 7, MUW 3
Lauren Haskins hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to tie the game and spark a five-run rally over the next two innings for Stillman College to win Game 1, 7-3.
Haskins hit 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three stolen bases, while
Madison Bubel was also 3-for-4 with two RBI, giving her 26 through 27 games played.
The W took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after an RBI single by Rylie Grisham scored one run, and another scored on a wild throw to third base. After Haskins scored on a
Katelynn Madison RBI ground out in the bottom of the first, the Owls answered with an Ashton Byerly sac fly.
Lexi McCray (5-5) shut down the Owls in the third through sixth innings, allowing only two base runners during the four innings. She allowed only two earned runs off four hits and a walk, while striking out three. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for McCray in the circle.
Bubel singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth inning and scored on an error to pull Stillman within a run. After Haskins' home run in the fifth, the Tigers pushed two more runs across in the inning on RBI singles by
Bailie Seales and
Carolyn Carter. Bubel added a two-run single in the sixth inning.
With a four-run cushion,
Abby Shelby closed the game in the seventh with a ground out, strikeout and pop up to retire the Owls in order.
Carter had two hits, while
Mackenzie Kirby, Madison and Seales each had one hit to help Stillman total 11 hits in the game for the sixth time this season.
GAME 2: STILLMAN 10, MUW 2 (5 Inn.)
Katelyn Lankford powered Stillman with a 4-for-4 game and five RBIs as the Tigers run-ruled the Owls in Game 2. She was a triple shy of the cycle.
Trailing 2-0 on a pair of unearned runs by the W,
Lauren Haskins legged out a leadoff three-base error to start the bottom of the first inning. Immediately after, Lankford crushed her first career home run to left field to tie the game, 2-2.
The Tigers worked the bases loaded in the third inning and pushed across two more runs on a Lankford RBI single and
Madison Bubel sac fly. Carolynn Carter gave the Tigers a 5-2 lead with a solo home run in the third inning.
Stilman pushed the lead to 8-2 in the fourth inning. Haskins led off the fourth inning with a single to first and stole second to set up a RBI double for Lankford. Bubel then tripled to right to score another run, and she scored on a
Bailie Seales RBI single.
Anna Johnson and
Makyleigh Hollinger delivered pinch hit singles to start the bottom of the fifth. Lankford drove in Johnson to set up a run rule opportunity. With one out and two strikes,
Gracie Fjeldstad hit a walk-off single past a diving shortstop to score Hollinger and end the game. It was Fjeldstad's first collegiate start and second RBI of the year.
Elisabeth Boso (4-1) pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits and no earned runs. She had three strikeouts.
Following Lankford's four hits, Haskins and Bubel each had two hits to finish with five on the day. Nine total Tigers had hits in the game.
NEXT: Stillman (24-8, 8-6 SSAC) will host Faulkner University on Saturday for a Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader. The games are currently scheduled for 2 p.m. but may move to 3 p.m. due to weather Saturday morning.
