March 2, 2008

Minnesota State Moorhead Box Score
Wilmington College Box Score

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Junior Courtney Lyons struck out a career-high 15 batters and allowed only one hit to lead Lewis to a 2-0 win over Minnesota State Moorhead, and sophomore Jenna Howard followed with one one-hit shutout of her own later in the day to help the Flyers rout Wilmington College 13-0, Sunday at the Rebel Spring Games.

The Flyers (6-6) won their fourth and fifth straight games, making their 0-5 start to the season seem like a distant memory.

Lyons (4-2) won for a fourth consecutive game. She has not allowed a single earned run over her last 28 innings of work. Minnesota State Moorhead's only hit was a single up the middle in the sixth inning.

Lewis scored its runs with single tallies in the fourth and sixth innings. Freshman Kayla Smith shot a single to center in the Flyers' fourth. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and went third via a sacrifice bunt off the bat of senior Mallory Paine. Senior Carla Musillo brought Smith home with a sacrifice fly to center.

In the sixth, freshman Sarah Hurley got on with a one-out double to right center. Paine later doubled to score Hurley.

Against Wilmington, Howard (2-3) allowed only a one-out single in the fourth inning. She struck out three batters and gave up just one walk.

The Flyers' offense erupted for its largest run total since a 14-2 win over Rockhurst on April 7, 2007. Lewis scored five times in the first, once in the second, six times in the fourth and one more time in fifth. Seven different Flyers combined for 11 hits in the game.

Junior Kelly Dianis went 2-for-4 with a triple and four RBI. It was her first game of the season after just finishing the basketball season with a 17-point effort on Saturday afternoon. Dianis literally arrived in Florida Sunday morning. She had not practiced with the softball team at all this season.

Musillo pounded two doubles, collecting two RBI. Junior Jessica Randall also had two hits for the Flyers. Senior Ashley LeGrand recorded two RBI, and junior Carissa Castonzo has a run-scoring hit. Freshmen Stephanie Harmon, Brittany Patete each registered RBI hits and a run scored.

The Flyers return to action on Tuesday, playing University of Mary at 11 a.m. and Saginaw Valley State at 3 p.m.