AUM Softball Stays Hot, Take Twin Bill on Ave Maria

Posted: Mar 1, 2016 9:19 PM CST

Updated: Mar 2, 2016 9:19 AM CST

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (aumathletics.com)—- Extending the win streak to 10 games, the top-ranked Auburn Montgomery softball team swept Tuesday afternoons twin bill over Ave Maria University. AUM won the first game 2-0, before winning game two 7-1.

NOTES
• The Warhawks now stand at 12-1 on the season.
• Ave Maria fell to 10-7 on the year.
• The Warhawks improved to 2-0 all-time against Ave Maria.
• Senior Kayla Hale picked up a home run in each game to improve her season total to seven, a mark which puts her in a three-way tie for first in the nation.
• Senior Taylor Powell moved to 6-0 on the year with another shutout performance. She has hurled 28 consecutive innings without giving up a run, and has thrown four straight shutouts.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Senior Kayla Hale finished the first game 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, and finished game two 1-for-3 with another home run and three RBIs. She now has 17 RBIs on the season, which puts her tied for 13^th in the nation.
• Junior Sarah Angulo finished the day 3-for-5, after a perfect 2-for-2 performance in game two where she picked up two RBIs, which improved her season total to six.
• Senior Jennifer Jenkins went a perfect 3-for-3 in game two with two doubles and two runs scored. She currently is tied for first on the team with five doubles on the year.
• Junior Sydney Dishman went 2-for-3 in game two with two RBIs and two runs scored, as she picked up her second home run of the season. She also scored a run in the first game to bring her season total to a team-high 13.
• Senior Taylor Powell improved to 6-0 on the year behind another complete-game shutout performance in game one. She struck out seven and only allowed two hits and one walk to lower her season earned run average to 1.37.
• Junior Rachel Ragland improved to 5-0 on the year after tossing her fourth complete game of the year. She gave up just one run on three hits and a walk, while striking out eight to improve her season total to 49.
• Marinna Shadley picked up a triple and an RBI on the day to lead the Gyrenes offensively.

GAME 1 HOW IT HAPPENED
• After a quick scoreless first inning, the Warhawks picked up the first hit of the day in the bottom of the second on a Rose Schmidt single, but were unable to score.
• After three consecutive walks with two outs, AUM was unable to plate a run to head to the top of the fourth locked at 0-0.
• Neither team scored in the fourth or fifth inning, but Braddy picked up a single in to top of the fifth for Ave Maria, and Angulo singled in the bottom half of the frame.
• Tied at 0-0 and heading to the bottom of the sixth, AUM would get on the board. Powell singled to lead-off, but was forced out on a fielder’s choice from Dishman. Hale launched her sixth home run of the season on a 1-1 count to deep left field to give the Warhawks a 2-0 advantage heading to the final frame.
• After a walk and a fly ball to left, the game would end on a 5-4-3 double play to hand AUM a 2-0 victory in game one.

GAME 2 HOW IT HAPPENED
• AUM got on the board early in the bottom of the first after Ragland retired the first three batters in order. With two outs in the bottom frame, Hayden Henderson reached on a walk, before Dishman blasted her second home run of the season to put the Warhawks up 2-0.
• Ragland retired the next three hitters in the second, but Ave Maria picked up its only run of the game in the top of the third. Stirtzinger reached after being hit by a pitch, before being advanced to third on two sacrifice bunts. Shadley then tripled down the right field line to make the score 2-1.
• AUM responded in the home half of the inning with a run as well. Henderson reached on an error, and a Dishman single moved her to second. After a wild pitch moved both runners, Hale grounded out to second to pick up the RBI and make the score 3-1 in favor of the Warhawks.
• AUM tallied another run in the bottom of the fourth on two hits from Jenkins and Angulo. Jenkins led the inning with a double, before the Angulo single brought her home, improving AUM’s lead to 4-1.
• AUM continued to score in the bottom of the fifth picking up three additional runs on three hits. Dishman reached after being hit by a pitch, before Hale smacked her seventh home run of the season to deep left-centerfield. Another Jenkins double allowed Angulo to pick up her second RBI of the game on a single up the middle. AUM led 7-1 heading to the sixth.
• Ave Maria picked up its final hit of the game in the top of the sixth, but would be unable to plate a run the final two innings to give AUM the 7-1 victory.

QUOTING THE COACH
• “We have a lot of players that are really stepping up for the team right now,” Head coach Eric Newell stated. “We talk about winning your at-bat, because you never know which could be the most important one of the game. Hayden Henderson and Sydney Dishman did an excellent job of extending the inning. I am really proud of the kids that are getting it done in front of the big hits.”

UP NEXT
• The Warhawks will return to the field on Wednesday, March 2 when they host Tennessee Wesleyan College for a double-header with game one starting at 2 p.m.