CLERMONT, Fla. – The Siena Heights softball team shutdown Grace (Ind.) and Hannibal LaGrange (Mo.) 10-0, both games lasting only five innings, on Thursday.
The Saints opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, Kris Forest hitting a double to send home Kyndle Wolfinger and Kenya Keller. Hannah Bleikamp then sent Forest home, putting SHU up 3-0 at the end of the first.
SHU (8-2) went on to score two in the second and one in the third and fourth innings. Keller hit a line-drive double through the right field gap, to send home three runners and claim the game 10-0.
Lesley Ducat earned the win for Siena Heights with eight strikeouts and six hits. In the circle for the Lancers was Chandler Elliot who finished the game with nine hits allowed and nine earned runs. Amy Nordstrom, Keller and Forest each had two hits for SHU.
In game two, SHU put one run on the board in the top of the second. The Saints capitalized on Patriot errors in the third, pushing eight runs across the plate. Hits came from Forest, Megan Jones, Bleikamp, Kelesy Cherry, Kayla Boland and Wolfinger as the Saints went through their lineup. SHU added a run in the top of the fifth to seal the deal, winning 10-0.
In the circle for the Saints, earning six strikeouts and three hits was Lindsay Brandon. Taking the loss for HLGU was Jordyn Alford, allowing five hits and three earned runs against. Alford was relieved by Madison Ingram in the middle of the third, striking out three with no earned runs against. Leading Siena Heights with three hits was Cherry, scoring twice.
SHU will return to action on Friday to take on West Virginia Tech and South Minnesota State in 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. contests.