MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The No. 14 Thomas University softball team swept a doubleheader from St. Thomas (Fla.) University to win at least a share of the Sun Conference Championship Friday afternoon at Col. Jacquelin Field.
With the 2-0 and 16-2 victories, the Night Hawks are co-champions of the conference at least, and with at least one Warner win over Southeastern on Saturday, Thomas will be the outright league champs.
Thomas will earn either the top of second seed in the Sun Conference Tournament held in Clermont, Fla., next week.
Game One
TU scored one in the first and one in the fifth to take the 2-0 win in the first game. Thomas outhit STU 10-4.
Lauren West earned the complete game victory allowing just four hits and striking out three. West ended the regular season 23-4 with a 0.96 ERA in 168.1 innings.
Kelsey Connolly was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI while
Victoria Camina also connected on a pair of hits.
Camina led off the game with a single to center field, then
Kait Stoltz dropped a sac bunt to move Camina to second base. Mora flew out to right field, then Connolly hit an RBI single to left field.
In the fifth, Camina again started the inning with a single, but this time she put down a bunt to reach the bases. She was caught stealing for the first out of the inning. Stoltz singled to center field, then after Mora popped up to second base, Connolly hit a double to left field to score TU's second run.
Game Two
The Night Hawks scored three in the first then added five more over the next three innings before an eight-run fifth to take the 16-2 victory in game two. TU hit four home runs and drew eight walks in the game.
Starting pitcher
Katie Lopes gave up just one hit in 3.0 innings to earn the win.
Gaby Mora hit a grand slam and scored a pair of runs.
A.J. Weiss was 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored.
Camina drew a leadoff walk and stole second, then advanced to third on a sac bunt by Stoltz. Mora drew a walk and also stole second. Then Connolly sent a sac fly to left to plate Camina, scoring TU's first run. Weiss then stepped to the plate and rocketed a two-run homer.
In the second inning, Corryne Diaz singled to center, then with one out,
Taisa Kirindongo reached on an error, allowing Diaz to advance to third. Kirindongo stole second and a catcher's error allowed Diaz to score.
With two outs in the third, Weiss singled to left field, then
Michael Cooper homered, giving TU the 6-0 lead.
Camina singled to center to lead off the fourth, but was thrown out in a rundown after a fielder's choice hit to third by Stoltz. With two outs, Stoltz stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Connolly then reached on an infield error, allowing Stoltz to score. Weiss then drove in Connolly with a single to center field.
STU scored two runs from two hits and a pair of TU errors in the fourth.
Thomas answered with an eight-run fifth inning to win, 16-2.
Pinch hitter Brianna Mendoza singled to right field to lead off the fifth, then advanced on a wild pitch. Pinch hitter Olivia Garcia drew a walk, then Camina reached on a fielder's choice, while Mendoza was thrown out at third. Stoltz singled to right to load the bases in time for Mora to hit a grand slam and put TU up, 8-2.
Connolly then stepped to the plate and sent a solo shot over the fence. Weiss reached on an infield error and Cooper and pinch hitter Emily Bowne loaded the bases by drawing walks. With two outs, Cameryn Herrera hit an RBI single to left field, then Camina drove in Cooper with an infield base hit. Stoltz drew a walk to plate TU's final run.
