LAKE WALES, Fla. - The Royals and Mariners took the Sun Conference series of the week opening game to extra innings. Then Warner hit a walk-off triple to win game two. Warner also honored it's four seniors today.
Today was senior day for the Royals as they welcomed family members back to Daly Field. Warner softball honors the following seniors for their time spent as a Royal… Alanie Cora, Alison Yawn, Kasey Heslin and Sara Bruno.
Game one turned into an all out battle in extra innings. The Royals struck first blood in the bottom of the fourth inning when Jennifer Bryant hit a single that scored Madison Servo and Breyonna Shell to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.
The Mariners answered with a four run inning in the top of the sixth. Warner immediately responded with a four run bottom of the sixth inning taking a 6-4 lead. College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA) added two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game and then held the Royals scoreless and sent the game into extra innings.
CCGA plated one run in the top of the eighth taking the lead. The Royals answered in the bottom of the eight with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Katelyn Richards that scored Alison Yawn from third. Tied at 7-7, CCGA pushed across two runs in the top of the ninth then held hte Royals scoreless to take game one.
Kasey Heslin and Jada Cruz both put together a three hit effort. Kasey Heslin went 3-3 at the plate with a run scored. Jada Cruz was 3-5 with a run scored. Alison Yawn had a big game from the leadoff position, she went 2-4 with 2 hits, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI's. Katelyn Richards had a sacrifice fly in the game and went 0-1 at the plate with 3 walks.
Tiffany Dodson was on the unfortunate end of the 9 inning complete game. Dodson picked up just her sixth loss of the season. She spread out 14 hits throughout the game and the Royals crucial 4 errors caused 7 unearned runs to score. Dodson surrendered just 2 earned runs while walking just 2 batters and striking out 3.
Game Two
The Royals fortunes changed in game two with a slight upper hand in the late innings. Warner struck first with a Jennifer Bryant single up the middle that scored Ashton Owen. Kasey Heslin then rifled a ball through the left side gap scoring Jennifer Bryant and gave the Royals the 2-0 lead. A three run double from the Mariners in the top of the fifth inning gave them the 3-2 lead.
Sara Bruno forced a fielder's choice in the infield where the Mariners made a crucial error and allowed Katelyn Richards to score, tying up the game. In the bottom of the seventh, Aurielle Turner replaced Sara Bruno on the base paths. Ashton Owen smacked a triple down the right field line that scored Turner all the way from first in a close play at the plate. It was a walk-off triple for Ashton Owen and her 4th triple of the season.
The Royals improved to 24-10 overall on the season with the win and 8-4 in Sun Conference play. Warner has only played four away games and six neutral site games this season in which they're a combined 7-3 when away from Daly Field. Next week they hit the road to take on St. Thomas University in Miami on Wednesday, then will travel to Bluffton, SC to take on the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
