AUM’s Powell whiffs a dozen as Warhawks top Tenn. Wesleyan twin bill
MONTGOMERY, Ala (aumathletics.com) —- Senior Taylor Powell picked up a career-high 12 strikeouts in game one as the top-ranked Auburn Montgomery softball team defeated Tennessee Wesleyan 3-0 in both games of Wednesday afternoon’s doubleheader.
NOTES
• The Warhawks now stand at 14-1 on the season.
• Tennessee Wesleyan fell to 4-5 on the year.
• The Warhawks improved to 4-0 all-time against Tennessee Wesleyan.
• Powell moved to 7-0 on the year with another shutout performance. She has hurled 35 consecutive innings without giving up a run, and has thrown five straight shutouts.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Senior Kayla Hale picked up two hits on the day with two RBIs and a walk. The two RBI improved her season total to 19, a mark which puts her 11th in the nation in that category.
• Junior Sydney Dishman picked up an RBI and a hit in each game, which included her fourth double of the season.
• Junior Sarah Angulo picked up an RBI in the second game on a successful squeeze bunt to improve to seven on the year.
• Powell improved to 7-0 on the year after a career-high 12 strikeout performance in a one-hit shutout in game one. She currently sits atop the Southern States Athletic Conference with 64 strikeouts..
• Junior Rachel Ragland improved to 6-0 on the year after tossing her fifth complete game of the year. She hurled her third complete-game shutout allowing only three hits, while picking up five strikeouts.
• Baylee Sutton picked up a double and finished the day 2-for-5 to lead the Bulldogs offensively.
GAME 1 HOW IT HAPPENED
• Heading to the bottom of the third, the score remained tied 0-0. AUM got on the board first after Dishman singled to centerfield and plated Brinkman, who reached on an error. Powell, who reached on a single to left, scored along with Dishman when Hale doubled to centerfield to give AUM a 3-0 lead.
• Tennessee Wesleyan looked to counter in the top of the fourth after two walks started the inning. However, Sutton was struck by a line drive in the ankle for out one, and Powell struck out the next two batters to end the chance.
• Neither team scored or picked up a hit in the fourth or fifth inning.
• Powell denied the comeback in the sixth and seventh frame giving up the only hit of the game in the sixth, and striking out all three batters in the seventh to hand AUM the 3-0 victory.
GAME 2 HOW IT HAPPENED
• AUM once again scored first in the bottom frame of the first inning. Brinkman reached on an error and stole second, and was plated home when Dishman laced a double down the right field line to give AUM an early 1-0 lead.
• Neither team scored a run in the second or third inning. A Sutton single in the top of the fourth marked the first hit of the game for the Bulldogs, but Ragland picked up a 1-6-3 double play and an infield pop fly to end the inning.
• AUM added to the narrow lead in the bottom of the fourth as Hale kick started the offense with a leadoff single. Amy Persinger came in the game to pinch run, before Hayden Henderson singled on an infield bunt. Angulo picked up her seventh RBI of the year on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt, and reached base safely to score Persinger. After reaching base, Angulo put herself into a rundown that allowed Henderson to score, which gave AUM a 3-0 lead heading to the fifth.
• Tennessee Wesleyan picked up a second hit in the top of the fifth on a Cross single, and Sutton doubled in the top of the sixth, but the Bulldogs were unable to plate either runner.
• Allie Krueger picked up her second hit of the year in the bottom of the sixth, followed by a Ragland single with one out. A fielder’s choice and a groundout ended the inning for the Warhawks still leading 3-0.
• Ragland sealed the game in the top of the seventh with two groundouts, and a strikeout to end the game, which gave AUM another 3-0 victory and the sweep over Tennessee Wesleyan.
QUOTING THE COACH
• “Our girls continue to grind out wins and fight through adversity,” Head coach Eric Newell stated. “All-in-all I’m proud of the girls and I know they are battling and working hard.”
UP NEXT
• The Warhawks will return to the field on Friday, March 4 when they travel to Gulf Shores, Ala. to compete in the Gulf Coast Invitational against Keiser at 9 a.m. and Freed-Hardeman at 11 a.m.
