BABSON PARK, Fla. - Warner University softball team needed 18 innings to win both games of a Sun Conference doubleheader against cross-town rivals Webber International University on Friday afternoon. The Lady Royals outlasted the Warriors 3-1 after 11 innings in game one then won game two 7-2 in seven innings.
The Lady Royals (15-15-1) are alone in third place in The Sun Conference standings with an 8-4 record after the sweep. The Warriors (21-18) drop into a tie for sixth place with a 4-8 league record.
Game one featured a pitcher's duel between Warner's
Chelsie Valentine and Webber's Erika Bellinger. Both pitchers combined for nine straight shutout innings to open the doubleheader.
Makenzie Garcia singled home
Nicole Comstock as the Lady Royals scored the game's first run in the top of the 10
th inning. The Warriors answered with their first run in the bottom of the inning however and the game continued.
In the 11
th inning,
Jacqueline Gomez and
Jessica Adams scored on
Jelisa Potter's single to center field giving Warner a 3-1 advantage. Valentine retired the Warriors in order in the bottom of the inning to preserve the victory.
Valentine (10-4) scattered eight hits and one unearned run over 11 innings of work. She walked two and struck out six batters lowering her ERA to 3.21.
Potter finished with two of Warner's five hits in the game and had the game-winning RBIs.
Melissa Costero,
Nicole Comstock and
Makenzie Garcia recorded the other Warner hits.
In game two the Lady Royals scored seven runs on five hits but benefitted from seven Webber defensive errors. Garcia and
Cynthia Micochero opened the scoring with RBI-singles in the fourth inning.
A four-run fifth inning extended the Lady Royals' lead to 6-1 over the Warriors. Garcia was in the mix again with a RBI groundout. Comstock and Adams also had RBI at-bats. A Webber error led the seventh run of the game for Warner in the sixth inning.
The 7-1 lead was more than enough for Lady Royals' starter
Erika Shick (2-6) who went the distance scattering eight hits and two runs (one earned). She walked no one and struck out one batter.
Makenzie Garcia and
Jessica Adams both drove in two runs for Warner.
Cynthia Micochero collected two hits (2-for-4) and stole a base.
Next week marks the end of the 2015 regular season for the Lady Royals. On Friday, April 24, the Lady Royals will be in Thomasville, Ga. for a doubleheader with No. 16 Thomas University (Ga.). Then on Saturday, April 25, the Lady Royals will be in Hardeeville, S.C. to take on No. 13 University of South Carolina-Beaufort.
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