LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama softball team started the final home weekend of the 2010 season with a sweep of Lambuth University on Saturday at the UWA Softball Complex. The Tigers ousted the Eagles 9-1 and 9-3 in the twinbill.
The Tigers (36-19) now turn their attention to a pivotal Gulf South Conference doubleheader on Sunday against North Alabama. UWA and UNA are currently tied (9-12) for fourth in the division and are battling for the final GSC Tournament bid. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. on the UWA campus. Live stats will be available at www.uwaathletics.com.
UWA honored its five seniors prior to the Saturday afternoon affair and all five contributed in the sweep. Senior catcher Angela Hanna was a double away from hitting for the cycle in the opening contest. The Opelika, Ala.-native finished the contest 3-for-3 and drove in five runs. Hanna connected on a bases-clearing triple in the third to push UWA's lead to 4-0. In her next at bat, she corked a three-run home run over the left center wall. The round-tripper was her team-leading 10th on the season. Mary Wright turned in a pinch hit double in the sixth and scored on Kelli Hartley's game-ending double. Hartley also collected three hits in the opener and a pair of RBI.
Junior pitcher Katie Ford earned her 24th win of the season with five innings of work in the circle. The Eagles didn't touch Ford until the fifth after they manufactured its lone run off of her. She retired the first eight Eagles before surrendering a walk in the fourth. The Garden City, Kan.-native finished with four strike outs.
In the second contest, UWA erased a 2-1 deficit with a five-run third inning. After the first two Tigers reached base, Angela Smith picked up an RBI with a single to the left side of the infield. Junior Meagan Sloke drilled her second home run of the season with a two-run home run to center to give UWA the go-ahead runs. Wright picked up an RBI after driving in Lindsey Skinner, who walked after Sloke's homer. The Red and White added a pair of runs in the fourth, highlighted by junior Jessica Powell's one-out, opposite field home run to right. After three-straight walks, senior Jennifer Lillard lifted a sacrifice fly to left field for an RBI. The Tigers added their final run in the fifth after a Sloke single drove in Caitlyn Bonham, who started the frame with a base hit. Sloke was credited with three RBI in the second affair.
Hannah Griffin tossed the first four innings before giving way to senior Jessica Cervantes. Griffin was touched for four hits and two of LU's three-runs. Cervantes closed out the game to earn her third win of the season. The Visalia, Ca,-right hander fanned a pair and scattered five hits.
UWA's leading hitter Anna Shartzer pushed her current hit streak to 16-staright games with hits in both games. The Gulf Shores, Ala.-freshman leads UWA at the dish with a .361 average and a team-best 66 hits.
