AUM softball takes doubleheader from Faulkner
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (aumathletics.com) —- The top-ranked Auburn Montgomery softball team defeated crosstown rival Faulkner University in both games with a 1-0 victory in game one, before winning 4-1 in the second game.
NOTES
• The Warhawks improved to 34-3 (10-2) on the year.
• The Eagles fell to 15-15 (3-7) on the season.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Senior Katie Brinkman finished the second game 1-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored as she blasted her third home run of the season in the bottom of the second inning.
• Sophomore Amy Persinger added a 2-for-3 performance in game two with an RBI double in the first inning. It marked her sixth double of the season, and she currently leads the Warhawks with 16 extra-base hits.
• Freshman Allie Krueger finished the day 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Her run in the first game proved to be the game winner in the bottom of the sixth.
• Senior Jennifer Jenkins added a stolen base, a walk, a run scored and an RBI on her sacrifice fly in the first game that gave the Warhawks the win.
• Senior Taylor Powell improved to 20-2 on the year after tossing her tenth complete-game shutout of the season in game one. She added eight strikeouts and scattered five hits to lower her season ERA to 0.84.
• Junior Rachel Ragland improved to 13-0 on the year after tossing her ninth complete-game of the season in game two. She picked up seven strikeouts in the win, and only allowed five this with one earned run.
• Holli Brooks led the way for Faulkner as she finished the day 2-for-6 with an RBI and a double.
GAME 1 HOW IT HAPPENED
• Neither team scored a run in the first frame, but Faulkner picked up the first hit of the game on a Slemp single through the left side in the top of the second. The run did not score, but Faulkner added another hit in the top of third. The Eagles were unable to score again, and the score remained tied 0-0 heading to the bottom of the third.
• AUM picked up its only hit of the first game on a Ragland single up the middle, but the run was unable to score.
• Faulkner had a chance to score in the top of the fifth after a two-out single from Anthony loaded the bases. Powell forced a groundout to end the chance, as the score remained tied 0-0 heading to the sixth.
• AUM tallied the only run in game one in the bottom of the sixth. Krueger led the inning with a walk, and advanced to second after Brinkman was hit by a pitch. Henderson executed a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners into scoring position, and Jenkins delivered the sacrifice fly to right-center that plated Krueger to give the Warhawks a 1-0 advantage.
• Powell struck out the last three hitters in the top of the seventh to give AUM the 1-0 victory in game one.
GAME 2 HOW IT HAPPENED
• AUM scored in the bottom of the first inning in game two. Jenkins reached second on a stolen base, before Persinger would place a double down the right field line to give the Warhawks an early 1-0 lead.
• AUM added to its lead in the bottom of the second on a three-run home run from Brinkman that scored Schmidt and Krueger. The long ball extended the lead to four, 4-0.
• Faulkner did not respond until the top of the sixth when Brooks doubled to center, and scored Slemp. Brooks was out at third on the play trying to advance, but the run cut the AUM lead to three, 4-1.
• Ragland picked up two strikeouts in the top of the seventh to secure her 13th win of the year, and also to give the Warhawks the 4-1 victory in game two, and twin bill sweep.
QUOTING THE COACH
• “Faulkner always plays us close, so we were happy to come out with two conference wins this afternoon,” Head coach Eric Newell stated. “All-in-all, our team is playing well and we are finding ways to win close games.”
UP NEXT
• The Warhawks will return to action on Friday, April 8, when they host Middle Georgia State College in a Southern States Athletic Conference double header that is set to begin at 2 p.m.
