NORTH CANTON, Ohio – The Davis & Elkins College Softball team picked up an important Great Midwest Athletic Conference sweep of Malone University Wednesday afternoon in the doubleheader played at Cavalier Field on the campus of Walsh University.
In the pair of contests, which were moved due to field conditions left over after the recent snow system that covered the region, the Senators started strong in both games and overcame comebacks from Malone to win 4-3 and 5-2.
In game one, the Senators got off to a good start, scoring a run in each of the first three innings.
Sydney Turner started the scoring with a single down the left field line to score
Kelsie Millner in the top of the first.
In the second, Millner was on the other side of the scoring play, hitting a double down the left field line to score
Alexis Smith.
In the third,
Rhetta Persinger put the Senators up 3-0 with a double to left center, scoring
Rylie Anderson, who pinch ran for
Brittany Wade after he lead-off double.
Malone would come back in the fifth inning, capitalizing on an error to score three unearned runs against
Allie Lapallo. They would be the only runs the Pioneers would score.
The Senators would answer back in the top of the sixth inning. With an out and runners on first and second,
Katie Manson put the Senators in front for good with a single to center field, scoring pinch runner
Morgan Tandarich from second.
Lapallo retired Malone in order in the sixth and seventh to secure the victory. She completed all seven innings, allowing eight hits with nine strikeouts in the game and no walks.
Similar to game one, the Senators started off with a run in the first and another run in the third to take an early lead.
Wade doubled to right center in the top of the first to score Millner and put D&E ahead.
In the third, the Senators threatened Malone by loading the bases, but D&E was only able to get one run across the plate via a hit by pitch on Smith that scored Persinger.
Malone answered back in the bottom of the third, hitting a two-run homerun to tie the game up.
Davis & Elkins would respond just like in game one, breaking the tie in the very next inning. Persinger would drive in a pair of runs, as Wade and Millner scored on Persinger's double to left field in the fourth.
Persinger would do it again in the sixth inning, this time hitting a double to center, scoring
Alyssa Cairns.
After
Victoria Krystynak gave up the homerun in the third,
Sara Tobin came on and picked up the win in relief, tossing 3.2 innings, scattering three hits and three walks.
Jade Allee earned her first save retiring all three batters she faced in the seventh.
The Senators will return to action on Friday, as Davis & Elkins hosts Kentucky Wesleyan in a doubleheader at Joni Smith Field. The doubleheader is set for a 3 p.m. start.
