THOMASVILLE, Ga. – All that was needed for the Thomas University softball team to extend its season was to win another game, and the Lady Night Hawks did just that, splitting a doubleheader with Webber International Saturday afternoon at Armory Field.
 
Game One Recap (RV WIU 2, TU 0)
Thomas (21-17, 12-12 TSC) saw shades of its first game in the team's first doubleheader with the Warriors (28-22, 15-9 TSC) earlier this season: a defensive battle that saw neither team let up.  The Hunter Green & White and WIU combined for nine total hits in the game, with six of the nine hits coming in the sixth and seventh innings.  At the circle, Senior Rebecca Boesen (7-10) pitched another complete game, allowing one earned in five hits with three strikeouts.
 
Webber International broke the deadlock in the fifth inning, as Hailey Saylor's RBI triple gave the Warriors the first score of the day, 1-0, making a crack in the pitching armor.  One inning later, the Warriors continued chipping away, adding three more hits and another run to extend its lead 2-0.
 
The Lady Night Hawks attempted to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, beginning with a double from Junior Corryne Diaz.  Junior Chauntivia Cliatt came in to pinch run, as did Freshman Cheyann Blackmon for Sophomore Addyson Mauldin after the Jacksonville, Fla. native was walked.  Freshman Jaelynn Vialpando's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, but a strikeout on the next at-bat damaged TU's chances of extending the game.  The Warriors would extinguish those chances the following at-bat, as a pop out to shortstop sealed a 2-0 win for Webber International and guaranteed at least a share of The Sun Conference regular season title.
 
Game Two Recap (TU 3, RV WIU 2)
The flow of this contest was no different than the previous game; most half-innings lasted three to four batters.  Starting pitcher Junior Shaela Brown mostly kept the Warriors in check, allowing one earned run in four hits while recording six strikeouts in five and one-third innings pitched.
 
In the fourth inning, Webber would once again be the first team to break the deadlock, as Mimi Maggard was able to round the bases from sacrifice hits and a stolen base, as a sacrifice fly brought home the Junior to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
 
Maggard would score again two innings later off another sacrifice fly just before the Lady Night were able to get the third out on the same play.  During that span, Junior Larran Carter (8-3) came in relief for Brown.
 
With two outs in the bottom half of the sixth, the Hunter Green & White made a stand against The Sun Conference's top team.  One by one, Freshmen Averie Sheppard and Kennedy Hardy delivered singles, as Senior Holly Campbell's hit loading the bases with Diaz on deck.  The Gardnerville, Nev. native came through once more for the Lady Night Hawks, blasting one deep for a 3RBI double that proved to be the game-winner for Thomas.
 
Momentum and Carter's endgame was all that was needed in the top of the seventh, as Webber went three up three down to give Thomas a 3-2 come-from-behind win that cemented its seventh, straight non-losing The Sun Conference record and the sixth seed in next week's TSC tournament.
 
TU by the Numbers:
1:        Player with RBIs on the day
6:        Standing in The Sun Conference
9:        Total Hits on the day
12:      Total Half Innings with 1-2-3s combined from both teams
17:      Different Lady Night Hawks that played
21:      Regular Season wins
 
TU will now prepare for postseason play in the double-elimination The Sun Conference tournament to compete for the conference's automatic bid to the NAIA National tournament.  The Lady Night Hawks will face No. 3 seed #20 Warner Thursday with the first pitch scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
 
For up-to-date information on these games and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU softball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksSoftb.