THOMASVILLE, Ga. – A batting onslaught and a battle between aces are the story as the Thomas Night Hawks upset the #21 ranked Mobile Rams on Saturday afternoon at Armory Field.
Thomas 8 #21 Mobile 6
Game one started out fast as the Rams got on the board early thanks to a throwing error by the third baseman. However, The Night Hawks responded in a big way as
Ansley Eason lead off the inning with a single up the middle,
Grace Hodges also got on base with a bunt single. Then
Alexis Adams grounded out to first base, but was able to advance both runners into scoring position, opening up an opportunity for
Annalise Buncy to hit a three-run shot off of the foul pole in left to go up 3-1 before the inning came to an end.
For the next inning and a half, the bats went silent as
Sierra Ussery and Riley Smith both held their opposing sides at bay. In the bottom of the third, Eason lead off again with an infield single, then Hodges reached on a throwing error and then made it to second while Eason advanced to third. Then Adams hit a single into left to clear the bases. With the Night Hawks holding a four-run lead as the inning came to a close. In the circle, Ussery threw back-to-back scoreless innings until the top of the fifth as Mobile had runners in scoring position with two outs, then Miah Simmons doubled into right center to score both runners and bring the lead down to two.
Darian Pippin then relived Ussery who allowed eight hits and two earned with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. Thomas answered back in the bottom half, when Ussery knocked a double to left center to score a run, then Kristin Stellar hit a double of her own down the line in left to score
Maggie Stubbs who ran for Ussery.
In the next inning, Pippin sat down the next three batters in order to give the Night Hawks once more chance to gain more insurance runs.
Ava Nunez was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Opening the door for Adams to hit a double to left field to score Nunez, giving Thomas a five-lead going into the seventh.
Pippin found herself in a jam early as there were two on and two out when Simmons hit a single into left to load the bases. Madilyn Sheffield then a double to clear the bases, but when she tried to go third the relay throw from Nunez to Pippin came in time for Pippin to get it to Adams for the tag and the win.
Thomas 2 #21 Mobile 1 (8 Innings)
The second game in the doubleheader featured two of the SSAC's best pitchers in
Baileigh Herrera for Thomas and Avery Harrell for Mobile. The top of the first was the closest either team got to scoring as Katelynn Kempton hit a single into left and Lillie Lanham got a hit of her own to put two on with two out, Simmons popped out to Herrera to end the half-inning.
Both pitchers went the distance not allowing a single run through seven innings and Harrell was flirting with a no hitter until the bottom of the sixth when Eason ended the no-hit bid with a bunt single. Then Hodges pulled a sacrifice bunt to advance Eason to second and Nunez, who drew a walk to lead off the inning to third. With both runners in scoring position, Adams stepped up to the plate and popped out to short and Buncy would pop out to end the inning.
Both teams went out in order in the seventh to send the game into extras. The Rams started off the top of the eighth with a single up the middle from Lucy Spisto, then Kempton singled into left to advance Spisto to third with one out to bring up Lanham, who then singled into right to score the first run of the game. Next a flyout to left and a groundout to short ended the half-inning.
The Night Hawks were down to their final three outs, and Stellar lead off the inning with a massive double into left to get into scoring position, a sacrifice bunt from Nunez moved Steller to third with one out to bring up Eason, who hit a single into right to bring home Steller to tie the game. Hodges stepped up to the plate and hit a single to advance Eason to second, Adams would ground out to third moving Hodges and Eason in scoring position. Opening the door for Buncy to approach the plate with two outs and the winning run 90 feet away. After taking the first two pitches, Buncy found herself down two strikes, she fouled off the next two pitches in the at bat, then she hit a walkoff single into left to win the game and sweep the series.
The Night Hawks now stand in possession of second place in the SSAC standings, next week Thomas will go on the road to face UT Southern on Friday, April 4
th at 1:00PM
