March 26, 2008

Rome, Ga. - In a wild first game, The No. 8 Shorter College Lady Hawks softball game tied the score up at 2-2 in the fifth before surviving into the 10th when the Reinhardt Lady Eagles got the upper hand to win 4-3. Shorter held on again in the nightcap before a three-run outburst in the sixth propelled them to a 4-1 win.

"One of the hardest things to do in softball with playing doubleheaders all of the time is no matter how the first game turns out, you've got 20 minutes to get ready to play again," Shorter coach Melanie Carter said.

Becca Thomas gave a marathon effort on the mound in the first game, throwing all 10 innings while giving up seven hits, two earned runs and striking out four.

The outcome was decided in the final inning when Reinhardt (21-9, 5-3) pushed across two runs on a pair of hits to make it 4-2.

The Lady Hawks (24-8, 4-4) closed the gap when Lakyn Newton scored Libby Munson on a one-out double to left field.

But both Kerry Hammond and Lindsey McDaniel flied out to end the inning and the game.

Newton was the leading hitter for Shorter in game one with a 2-for-3 performance. McDaniel, Kandi Bruno and Kali Milford each had a hit with Bruno driving in Thomas in the fifth to tie the game.

Liz Clark went 2-for-2 in the second game and had an RBI double in the sixth to put Shorter in the lead.

Milford was 2-for-4 with a RBI triple and Jessica Sanders went 2-for-3 with a RBI. McDaniel was 2-for-3 as well.

Newton and Munson each had a hit with Newton driving in a run. Munson pitched the complete game for the win, giving up just three hits and two balls while striking out three.

The Lady Hawks hit the road Thursday as they take on SSAC foe Southern Wesleyan.