HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Behind two complete games from their starting pitchers, the University of Montevallo softball team swept a pair of contests on Sunday afternoon, defeating Bellarmine and Ohio Dominican.
Jostlyn Higgerson was dominant in a complete game shutout victory over the Knights. It's the first shutout in the history of the program and the fourth win of the year for Higgerson.
Bellarmine defeated #5 Wayne State University earlier in the tournament.
Montevallo scored one run in each the second, third, and fourth innings.
The Falcons scored their first run in the top of the second when freshman Kelsey Vining drew a bases loaded walk that plated Dylan Bailey.
In the third, Jessica Mentzer scored after a throwing error by pitcher Alicia Miller.
The third and final run came in the fourth after a Mentzer single brought home Shelby Clark.
That would be all the run support that Higgerson would need. The junior struck out seven, while only allowing four hits and issuing just two free passes in seven innings. She did not allow an extra base hit or a stolen base. She is now 4-1 this season.
Overall, Vining went 2-for-3 in the game with a double, an RBI, and a walk. Mentzer went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Sydney Abounassar went 2-for-4, and Sydney Aguilar went 1-for-3.
In the second game of the day, Montevallo would win their third straight contest and sweep their Sunday slate, defeating Ohio Dominican, 7-4.
The Falcons would get another complete game performance, this time from junior Kelsey King.
King gave up four runs and only surrendered one walk in her first win of the season.
UM scored the first six runs of the game, starting in the second inning when Rachael Conley tripled home Shelby Lopez. Hannah McCreless would then triple in the very next at-bat to plate Conley.
Celestia Davila had a one out triple in the third inning and scored when Bailey hit an RBI single.
Montevallo would get three runs in the fourth, as Lopez would score on an error and Darbi Duke hit a two-run home run to score McCreless and put the Falcons on top 6-0.
By the top of the sixth inning, the Panthers had cut the lead in half, but a solo blast from Conley put the Falcons back on top by four runs.
ODU would tack on another run, but would be unable to complete the comeback.
Conley finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a triple, and a home run. Davila also went 2-for-3 and had a walk to go along with a run scored.
Montevallo (5-3) returns home this Wednesday, February 11, in a doubleheader against Stillman College. Game times are noon and 2 p.m.
