MEMPHIS – Heavy hitting hoisted the Delta State University softball team to a doubleheader sweep over Christian Brothers on Tuesday afternoon.
INSIDE THE MATCHUPFinal (GM1): Delta State 9, Christian Brothers 4
(GM2): Delta State 9, Christian Brothers 1 (5 innings)
Location: Bland Field | Memphis, Tennessee
Records: Lady Statesmen (17-16), Lady Bucs (9-31)
Get Social: @DSUStatesmen | @DSUScores | @DeltaStateSB
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1- DSU took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Mariah Alvarez singled to center field, scoring Kaitlin Moore.
- Christian Brothers responded in the bottom frame when Sereika singled up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.
- The Lady Statesmen put up a five-run campaign in the top of the third. Kassidy Tally kick started the inning, bringing in a run following a hit by pitch. Kara Lane Nowell and Jessie Rodriguez used back-to-back two-RBI singles to plate four runs, giving Delta State the 6-1 advantage.
- CBU's Sereika homered and hit a single through the whole at shortstop in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, to tack on two more runs, notching the score at 6-3 in favor of DSU.
- Delta State's offense used a double from Nowell, a single from Taylor Holland, and a sacrifice fly from Amber Adcock to score three more runs in the top of the seventh to bring the score to 9-3.
- Christian Brothers' Byrd tacked on one more run, scoring on a wild pitch, to make the final 9-4.
- Adcock's 4-for-4 plate performance led the Lady Statesmen in game one. Nowell, Holland, and Tally each contributed two hits each en route to DSU outhitting Christian Brothers 14-9.
- Katie Justice (2-3) earned the win, pitching a solid 5.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on five hits. Freshman Brooke Watts came in for relief, pitching 2.0 innings, and giving up two earned runs on four hits.
Game 2- The Lady Statesmen continued their hot streak into game two, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Adcock doubled to left center field, scoring Holland. Then, Brook Cline sent a three-run blast to center field, her first of the season, to score Moore and Adcock. DSU held the 4-0 lead until the bottom of the third.
- Christian Brothers plated its only run of the game on Gonzalez's double to left center field in the bottom frame of the third, putting the score at 4-1.
- A five-run fourth inning from Delta State was the deciding factor in DSU's 9-1 run-rule victory in game two. Cline's RBI-single to right field scored Holland, while Adcock scored on a wild pitch. Three more runs came around to score when Tally singled through the hole at shortstop and Alvarez and Rodriguez grounded out to score Tally and Moore.
- DSU narrowly outhit Christian Brothers 11-10 but earned the win with quality at-bats and execution on the base path.
- Cline led offensively, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate and driving in four runs, tying her career-high. Alvarez, Tally, and Adcock each added two hits apiece.
- Taylor Tucker (2-4) picked up the victory, going 5.0 innings and giving up one earned run on 10 hits.
STAT OF THE DAY- Delta State's offense used two five-run innings, one in each game, to earn the doubleheader sweep.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE- Junior outfielder Mariah Alvarez has had two multi-hit games out of the last three and has recorded at least one hit in five consecutive games.
- Adcock, a 5-foot-4 infielder, currently stands at third on the all-time hits list in the DSU record books with 231 career hits. She is two hits away from tying and three away from passing Brittany Tillery (2006-09) who holds the number two spot with 233 career hits. The Brandon, Miss., native is also on a 13-game hit streak.
- Senior Taylor Holland has driven in one run in six out of the last eight games and is on a seven-game hit streak from the leadoff spot.
UP NEXT- DSU faces the University of Montevallo on Wednesday, April 8 in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. in Montevallo, Ala.
