Softball gets off to a hot start with six-game winning streak
Posted by The Skyliner on February 24th, 2010Cory Guinn
Sports Editor
New softball head coach Sarah Hall began her tenure at North Greenville on the right foot as the Lady Crusaders swept Southern Wesleyan University in a double header on Feb. 17 in Central, S.C.
In the first of two games, ace Kristyn Smith, junior biology, pitched six innings, giving up only two hits and striking out an astonishing 17 batters while leading North Greenville to a 10-3 season opening victory.
“I am very excited about the way we came out and started this season,” Hall said. “I think our pitching was outstanding and I am very pleased with our intesnsity on offense.”
The Lady Crusaders’ bats were hot from the start, led by Allison Bailey, senior studio art, who finished the game 2-2 with two home runs and two runs batted in. Other offensive contributors in game one were Karli Taylor, sophomore sport management, who finished the game with two doubles and Marielena Santos, freshman business, who opened up her college career with two RBI.
After blowing out the Lady Warriors in game one, Hall turned to pitcher Taylor Roof, sophomore health and wellness, to finish the sweep. Roof pitched a complete game, finishing with eight strikeouts, leading North Greenville to a 10-2 win over Southern Wesleyan.
North Greenville continued to do damage on the offensive side of the ball as they racked up 13 hits in game two. Santos led the Lady Crusaders with two hits and two RBI. Taylor and left fielder Jessica Turner, senior mathematics, each finished the game with two RBI and Shealy Broome, senior health and wellness, knocked in a run of her own.
After opening the season with two straight wins, the Lady Crusaders returned to Tigerville with hopes of extending their winning streak against the Lady Bobcats of Lees-McRae College in a double header on Feb. 18. North Greenville continued their hot streak taking both games in the series 4-1 and 9-0 in front of their home crowd.
Roof started game one for the Lady Crusaders and pitched a complete game registering five strikeouts and allowing only two hits and one earned run, which came off of a solo homerun in the seventh inning. At the plate, Roof helped her own cause by going 3-3 and scoring a run. Broome finished the game 2-3 with an RBI while Santos, Kansas Wofford, freshman early childhood education, and Courtney Campbell, freshman biology, each accounted for an RBI.
Coach Hall put Smith on the mound in game two and she got all the run support she needed from the offense. North Greenville scored nine runs in five innings, forcing the game to be called due to the mercy rule. Smith fnished the game, pitching all five innings, striking out seven batters and allowing four hits.
Roof played first base in game two and provided power at the plate, hitting a three-run homerun in the fifth inning. Hope Brewer, senior sport management, went 3-3 from the plate and plated a run and Bailey was also 3-3 with two RBI in the game.
After winning four straight games, the Lady Crusaders traveled to Gaffney, S.C., on Feb. 20 to play in an early season tournament hosted by Limestone College.
In the first game of the day, North Greenville was matched up against West Virginia Wesleyan. Smith once again pitched a complete game, giving up only four hits and striking out seven as North Greenville defeated West Virginia Wesleyan 4-1.
In the game, Wofford went 2-3 with one RBI and Brewer hit a triple and collected an RBI. Roof was again hot from the plate finishing with three hits and one RBI,
Roof took the mound in the second game as the Lady Crusaders took on the Lady Battlers of Alderson-Broaddus College. Roof pitched a one-hit shutout as North Greenville came away with a 6-0 victory.
Sarah Griffith, sophomore mathematics, led the Lady Crusader offense finishing with a double and two RBI and Brewer was 1-3 with an RBI and one run scored. Brewer also stole a base in the game.
The Lady Crusaders (6-0) played last night against Brevard College in Brevard, N.C. and will take on Milligan College on Feb. 26 in a double-header in Elizabethton, Tenn.
Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 5