Offense Abound, Lady 'Canes Earn a Split with Queens

Offense Abound, Lady 'Canes Earn a Split with Queens

MILLEDGVILLE, Ga. - The Georgia Southwestern Lady Hurrcanes opened up the season splitting the two games against Queens University as both teams teams saw their first action of the 2013 season. Offense was the theme of the day as GSW scored 20 runs off 24 hits.

Game 1: Queens 11, GSW 9

Queens started the contest with a first-inning RBI double to give the Royals the early 1-0 advantage.

GSW struck back in the bottom of the second inning when Ashley Clifton scored the first Lady 'Cane run of the year off an Avery Purser sacrifice fly to tie the game.

The game wasn't tied for long, however, as Queens scored five runs over their next two innings, including a third inning that saw two Royal home runs, in order to take a 6-1 advantage over Southwestern.

GSW added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Purser scored off a Royals' error to draw close but Queens quickly countered with a three-run fifth inning off three hits allowing them to take a commanding 9-2 lead.

GSW scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth due to a Shelley Sweatt two-run RBI single drawing the Lady Hurricanes within five, 9-4.

Queens expanded their lead in the sixth inning off a Whitney Britt RBI single to take a 10-4 lead.

Southwestern tried to rally in the final two innings as they scored five funs off six hits but Queens notched a run in the top of the eighth and held on for a 11-9 victory.

Purser had 3 RBI's for GSW (0-1) while Sweatt notched two for the Blue & Gold.

GSW finished with 11 hits on the game and left 12 runners on base. Purser and Clifton led the Lady 'Canes with three hits apiece.

Whitney Britt led Queens with four hits and three RBI's while Emma Shultz had a game high five RBI effort, thanks in part to her three-run third inning home run.

Britt accounted for the other third-inning slam for Queens (1-0)

GSW Starter Allison Pastor (0-1) took the loss for Southwestern as the Junior tossed five innings and allowed nine runs and eight hits.

Queens' Kaitlyn Bodine (1-0) pitched 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on four hits while Lyndey McCurrey got the save for the Royals.

Game 2: GSW 11, Queens 4

Georgia Southwestern got revenge in the second game as GSW's offense stayed alive while Queens' bats were stymied by the Hurricanes.

Ashley Clifton's RBI double drove in Mason Moreland in the first inning to get the Lady 'Canes off to quick start.

Southwestern added to it's lead in the second when Moreland returned the favor as a Moreland sacrifice fly drove in another run to put GSW up to an early 2-0 lead.

Queens got on the board in the bottom of the second inning due to a Lyndey McCurry sacrifice fly of her own.

In the third inning, GSW's Jordan Miller scored off a wild pitch to extend the Lady 'Cane advantage to 3-1.

Queens rallied and tied up the game, 4-4, when Southwestern responded with the game-defining sixth inning that saw the Lady Hurricanes notch seven runs off five hits en route to an 11-4 advantage.

The GSW pitching staff held Queens hitless for the final two innings as Southwestern ended the night celebrating their first victory of the 2013 season.

GSW's Hayley Knight led Southwestern with three hits on the night while Moreland and Clifton added two a piece for the Blue & Gold.  

Georgia Southwestern had 13 hits on the night, leaving 14 on base for a two-game opening day total of 24 hits.

The 11 run output was the largest offensive output by a Lady 'Cane team since February 6, 2011 when GSW scored 14 in a 14-4 victory over Brewton-Parker.

Starter Erin Vick (1-0) gets the win for GSW (1-1) as the junior tossed five innings allowing four runs on six hits and three strikeouts.

Relief pitcher Kaitlyn Bodine (0-1) gets the loss for Queens (1-1) as she pitched the game-defining sixth inning allowing seven runs off four hits.