TIFTON, Ga. — Riding a wave of momentum that has produced seven wins in their last eight games, Thomas used a three-run fourth inning to pull away from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, 4-2, Friday afternoon in the opener of a doubleheader at ABAC and dropped the night cap in a close game to split the day.
Game 1: Thomas 4, Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) 2
Cameron Clontz led the Thomas offense, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. She set the tone in the fourth by leading off with a double to center field, then scored on a bunt fielding error to give Thomas a 2-1 lead. Grace Hodges provided the knockout punch two batters later, singling to left field with two outs to drive in two more runs and push the lead to 4-1.
Ava Nunez reached base three times — going 1-for-2 with two walks — and scored twice.
Baileigh Herrera went the distance in the circle for Thomas, allowing two runs — just one earned — on six hits over seven innings. She walked none and struck out three. Herrera worked through trouble in the sixth, stranding two runners after ABAC put Kinley Snider and Hannah Capps in scoring position.
Abraham Baldwin got on the board in the second when Ashley Archibald tripled to right field to drive in Alli Eidson, who had advanced to third on a wild pitch. The Stallions tied it in the third when Kendall Fowler tripled home Ansleigh Darby, who had reached on a pair of errors. ABAC managed only two scoreless innings the rest of the way.
Game 2: Thomas 0, Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) 2
ABAC evened the doubleheader in the pitchers duel nightcap, as Lindsey Paul spun a complete-game shutout to blank the Night Hawks, 2-0, in Game 2.
The Night Hawks threatened early, putting Ava Nunez on third and Grace Hodges on second with one out in the opening frame, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat. Thomas stranded six runners on base for the game.
ABAC did all its damage in the third inning. With runners on second and third following a sacrifice bunt, a pair singles gave ABAC a 2-0 lead it would not relinquish. Clontz allowed two earned runs on four hits in three innings before giving way to Maggie Stubbs, who tossed three scoreless frames in relief.
