LAKE WALES, Fla. – The Night Hawks took on the Warner University Royals in their first road series of the year on Friday night.
Game one started out as a defensive battle as both teams held each other at bay through the first three innings. The fourth saw Thomas get on the board as
Sierra Ussery brought
Annalise Buncy home on a single. Warner responded in the bottom half of the inning as sacrifice fly scored the tying run. The Night Hawks could not capitalize with a runner in scoring position in the top of the fifth and the Royals notched two runs to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. The bats went cold for Thomas in the sixth and Warner looked to add on with runners on second and third with two outs. However, The Night Hawks got out of the inning still needing a couple of runs.
In the seventh, following a groundout and a pop up, Thomas was down to their last out, earlier
Rileigh Spinosa got a walk and advanced to second on the ground, so it left
Ava Nunez as the tying run to step up to the plate. Nunez walked, and then
Grace Hodges got a single to load the base, bringing
Ansley Eason up to bat. Eason answered the call and knocked one into the gap for a bases clearing three RBI Double to take the lead. Then Buncy brought Eason home on a hit, then Ussery brought in more insurance by bringing Buncy home.
Lauren Hicks pinched hit and got one by to score
Alexis Adams but Ussery got caught stealing at second to end the rally. Warner tried to respond, managing to get a run in, but
Darian Pippin struck out back-to-back batters to seal the game for the Night Hawks
The second game, while not as dramatic was more exciting as the bats continued to stay hot as Eason picked up right where she left off with a double in the top of first, Buncy then reached on an error and Ussery brought Eason home to put Thomas up early. After a one, two, three inning by
Baileigh Herrera, Nunez added on by bringing home
Kristin Steller, then Hodges scored Hicks to bring the lead to three. Following a scoreless inning, The Night Hawks went to work again with
Macie Spohn reaching on an error and Nunez and Eason walking to load the bases, Buncy then hit a popup to right which scored Spohn. Warner brought in a couple of runs in the fourth, but the bats cooled a bit for both teams in the fifth.
The sixth saw Thomas break the game wide open as following a Hodges steal and an Eason walk, Buncy hit a three-run shot for her first career homer as a Night Hawk to take a five-run lead. The Night Hawks scored one more run before
Cameron Clontz came in to close out the sweep.
The Night Hawks look to keep the four-game win streak going as they take on No. 22 Southeastern on Saturday, February 8
th at 12:00PM
