Softball Lady ‘Cats hike winning streak to eight with two more victories in Florida

Sports Release
March 10, 2023

CLERMONT, Fla. – The West Virginia Wesleyan softball team completed their fourth-straight doubleheader sweep at the Spring Games with wins over Lake Erie (2-0) and Mercy College (6-3) on Thursday. Hannah Hudson and Kendall Stoffel both pitched complete games for the Lady Bobcats to help extend the winning streak.

Game 1 vs Lake Erie
Grace Hightower led off the bottom of the first with a double to right to put an early runner in scoring position. The Storm were able to work out of the early trouble with three-straight outs to end the inning. Hudson sat the Lake Erie lineup down in order once again with two strikeouts and a lineout in the top half of the second. In the bottom half, Morgan Norris chopped a one-out single up the middle but that’s all the Lady Bobcat offense could muster in the inning.

LEC saw their first baserunner of the game in the top of the third when Adrianna Sluga drew a one-out walk. Hudson finished the inning with a strikeout and a lineout to Norris. The Lady Bobcats struck first in the bottom of the third with Grace Smith singling Jenna Christopher home after Christopher led the inning off being hit by a pitch. That would be the only run Wesleyan would put across as Alli Robinson and Andie Dizon popped up in the infield to end the inning with WVWC leading 1-0 after three.

The Storm went 1-2-3 once again in the top of the fourth inning. In Wesleyan’s side of the fourth, they were able to give Hudson run support, plating Taylor Swartz on an RBI single from Kiley Turner. Swartz was able to get in scoring position from an error and swiping second base, setting the stage for Turner’s RBI. Lake Erie started the top of the fifth with a single and was able to get her in scoring position but left with nothing after popping up to Hudson for the third out.

Neither team generated much offense for the rest of the game, including Hudson setting the Lake Erie down in order in both the sixth and seventh inning to secure the 2-0 win.

Lillian Campbell was the only LEC batter to get a hit off of Hudson and Sluga drew a walk. Carly Rowland pitched well for the Storm, going six innings and allowing two runs (one earned) off of five hits. Rowland did not walk a batter and struck out four.

Smith led the Lady Bobcats, going 2-3 with an RBI. Turner went 1-2 with that one hit being an RBI single. Hudson pitched a gem, going the distance and striking out six with one walk and one hit to pick up her fourth win of the season.

Game 2 vs Mercy College
The Lady Bobcats were able to put together three runs with two outs in the opening inning. Norris walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, eventually being brought home by Swartz on a double in the left-center gap. Dizon singled and put runners at first and third for Robinson where Robinson took full advantage with a two-run double to left. Mercy scored two runs in their half of the inning, both being on errors by the Lady Bobcats defense.

Both teams put runners in scoring position in the second inning but couldn’t put more runs up on the board. Wesleyan gave themselves a small cushion in the top of the third with Swartz singling and stealing second, eventually scoring on back-to-back errors by the Mavericks. With one out, Dizon was able to get to third on the two errors and a wild pitch. The Lady Bobcats would only get the one run and nothing else as they grounded out and popped out to close the top half of the inning. Stoffel sat the Mercy lineup in order in the bottom half, keeping the Wesleyan lead at 4-2 after three innings.

In the fourth inning, Norris doubled Megan McMackin and Alyssa Rohr home to open the Lady Bobcats lead to 6-2. The Mavericks put together very little offense in the bottom of the fourth, ending the inning on a groundout. In the fifth and sixth innings, both teams didn’t assemble much of any offense. Mercy made it interesting in their last at-bat in the seventh inning, plating a run and having another runner in scoring position with two outs. Stoffel escaped the late offensive surge by the Mavericks, claiming Wesleyan’s eighth-straight victory.

Cayla Crawford knocked in the lone RBI for the Mavericks as two of their runs were a result of Lady Bobcat errors. Crawford also went 3-4 to lead the Mercy offense. Angelina Oquendo took the loss, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks.

Norris and Robinson both had two runs-batted-in to lead the Lady Bobcats. Swartz also finished with an RBI. Stoffel pitched a complete game, giving up three runs (one earned) off of seven hits and walking three. Stoffel struck out seven batters as well.