WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Softball did not allow a run in 14 innings en route to collecting two wins against Arkansas Tech on Friday on day one of the series.
The wins secure SWOSU's third series victory of the season. The Bulldogs will try for the series sweep when game three gets underway at noon tomorrow in Weatherford.
GAME ONE – SWOSU 2, Arkansas Tech 0
The Bulldogs conjured up enough offense with single runs in the second and fifth innings. They finished with six hits in the game including doubles from Shallen Mershon and Jadyn Hook and RBIs from Skyla McPhillips and Katie Boline.
Blaire Gentry (W, 8-8) cruised into the seventh inning before getting into trouble and needing relief. She entered the final inning having allowed just one hit, but a walk and back-to-back singles required Courtney Hill to come in and earn her second save of the season which kept the shutout intact.
McPhillips opened the game's scoring with a fielder's choice in the second inning. Tech's second basemen took too long to make a decision on a ground ball and her throw home was too late to get Riley Lusk who scored on the play.
Boline capped off a three-hit fifth with an RBI single through the left side which plated home Hook who doubled previously.
Gentry did not allow an extra base hit all day.
GAME TWO – SWOSU 3, Arkansas Tech 0
After earning the save less than an hour prior, Hill was back out in the circle to throw and pitched the entire way. She struck out three and scattered six hits in her outing.
Meanwhile, the offense scored runs in a three-inning span from the third to the fifth to provide Hill run support. Maddie Rahon singled in a run in the third, Chesnie Hewitt had a safety squeeze in the fourth, and Riley Lusk doubled in Katie Boline in the fifth to account for the runs.
SWOSU finished with four hits, two fewer than Tech, but came through with timely hits and executions to score runs.
The Golden Suns made things interesting in the seventh inning with runners on second and third and one out, but an interference call and a ground out allowed the Dawgs to preserve the day's second shutout.
