CARROLLTON, Ga. – UWG Softball outscored Shorter 16-6 on the day as the Wolves swept one of their in-state rivals in a Sunday doubleheader at University Field.
In game one, the Wolves (10-12, 4-7 GSC) run-ruled the Hawks 8-0 before the teams played a thrilling affair in game two, with UWG coming away victorious, 8-6.
The sweep extends UWG's win streak over Shorter (4-19, 1-10 GSC) to seven consecutive wins dating back to the 2020 season.
Game One
After Shorter loaded the bases and threatened to score in the first inning, the Wolves jumped out to a 4-0 lead in their half of the opening frame. The big blow came off the bat of
Emma Bailey as the freshman slugged a three-run homer to right center.
Alley Taylor then tripled and scored on a wild pitch.
A
Madison Vandergriff single started a three-run second inning for the Wolves. Hanna Scarbrough would move Vandergriff to second a bunt, and
Chandler Mevis would drive her in with an RBI double.
Kristyn Nix then singled and stole second, setting the Wolves up with two in scoring position.
R.J. Janke then singled home a run and Bailey added another RBI on a sac fly.
Macy Ann McKnight settled in after the shaky first inning, pitching a complete game shutout and allowing just two hits over five innings of work.
West Georgia would add their eighth run on an RBI double from Bailey as the freshman ended the game 2-for-2 with five RBIs.
Mevis and Nix also recorded multi-hit games and Nix was a force on the basepaths, swiping two bases.
Game Two
In the second game of the doubleheader, Shorter got off to a much better start, pushing three runs across in the first, and casing UWG starter
Emma Worley.
But West Georgia would bounce right back in the bottom half with a five spot. Scarbrough, Mevis, and Nix all doubled to start the game with Mevis' double scoring Scarbrough. Janke then knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly and
Emma Bailey drew a walk and stole second.
Alley Taylor then singled in a run, and took second. After a sac fly from
Jacie Arrington scored a fourth run,
Alley Taylor's head-up base-running would score another run as she came across on a Shorter error.
Both UWG reliever
Kaley Dowdy and Shorter's starter Asia McWaters would settle in at that point, with UWG adding just a single run in the second on a RBI double from Janke, and the Hawks getting a Carlee Graham homer to make it a 6-4, UWG lead.
Shorter would get a run in the sixth to trim the UWG lead to one, forcing head coach
Al Thomas to go to the pen again, and call on McKnight to finish it up.
With the lead trimmed to one, UWG got two big insurance runs in the bottom half, with Mevis driving in pinch runner
Katie Hassenboehler and the Bailey picking up another RBI on the day to score Mevis.
Those runs proved to be big as Shorter would get a run in the seventh, but McKnight closed it out to earn her third save in two weeks.
Mevis and Nix each had two hits in game two, while Janke went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
Notable Numbers
- Bailey's home run was the first of her young career, joining
Rylee Green as the only members of the freshman class to hit home runs in 2022.
- Bailey also had five RBIs in game one, the most by a single player in a single game this season and the most since
Lexi Close drove in six in a game against Christian Brothers in 2021.
- Janke had a hit in both games running her hitting streak to 10 games.
Kristyn Nix is currently on a seven-game hitting streak.
- McKnight is now tied with
Kaley Dowdy for the team lead in saves at three. The duo ranks third in the nation in saves.
Up Next
West Georgia is set to host Delta State in a three-game series next weekend. The Wolves and Statesmen are set for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Friday and a 1 p.m. finale on Saturday.
