SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Armstrong Atlantic State softball squad picked up a Peach Belt doubleheader sweep of visiting Georgia Southwestern State on Friday afternoon. The Pirates won game one, 4-0, then took game two, 12-3, in six innings.
With the sweep, the Pirates (18-18, 6-6 PBC) climbed back to .500 overall and in the Peach Belt Conference, while Georgia Southwestern (12-29, 3-11 PBC) dropped its sixth league game out of its last seven contests.
AASU took a quick lead in game one thanks to Sam Floyd's second home run of the year, a solo shot to right field that made the score 1-0. The Pirates added a pair of runs in the third on a squeeze bunt and an error as pitcher Tiffany Milstid's throw to first was low, allowing Stephanie Mattes and Kyndal Schaaf to score. A Jessica Strong RBI single in the sixth capped the game one scoring.
Meanwhile, Hammel-Cobb (1-6) was in control, limiting the Hurricanes to four hits in seven innings and striking out five. It marks the 13th time Southwestern has been shutout this season. Milstid (1-7) took the loss for the Hurricanes, giving up six hits and four runs - three earned - in six innings, walking two and striking out three.
Game two saw the Pirates jump out to a 6-0 lead over the first three innings. AASU pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the first, then Ashley Bain and Baillie Temples hit back-to-back doubles in the second off of Jessica Martin (4-8) in the bottom of the second. Ashley Buckett followed with a sacrifice fly, then the Pirates scored three times in the third on a two-run home run by Floyd and an RBI single by Strong.
GSW climbed back into the game with three runs over the next two innings. Brandi Pratt delivered an RBI single down the left field line in the fourth, then with the bases loaded in the fifth, AASU reliever Courtney Alvarez hit Katie Wooten with a pitch, then gave up an RBI single to Mariko Nomura.
The Pirates put game two away with three runs in the fifth, then three in the sixth - capped by Ashley Bain's two-run home run off of Nomura that ended the contest. Emily Headrick (7-5) hurled three innings of two-hit shutout ball, striking out one to pick up the win, while Martin took the loss for the Hurricanes, giving up two hits and four runs - three earned - in 2 1/3 innings, walking three and striking out one.
Georgia Southwestern was led by two hits apiece from Nomura, Shea Weaver, Gabby Buck and Nichole Griffin in the doubleheader.
Bain went 3-for-3 with three runs scored in game two for AASU, while Floyd had two home runs and three RBIs over the afternoon.
The Lady Hurricanes return to action on Saturday, April 4, with a 1:00 p.m. Peach Belt Conference doubleheader at home against USC Aiken.