COLUMBUS, Ga. – Montevallo softball swept its two-game slate in the first day of the rescheduled Columbus State Red, White and Blue Classic with wins over Tuskegee, 9-2, and Georgia Southwestern, 3-0.
Due to inclement weather on Saturday, Feb. 11, the original Friday-Saturday format was moved to a Sunday-Monday tournament with Falcons set to take on host Columbus State and Georgia Southwestern on Feb. 13.
GAME ONE
To get the Falcons' afternoon started,
Shelby Sloan singled to right field and was brought home just a few moments when
Taylor Robinson doubled down the left-field line for the first run of the game.
Lauren Higginbotham drove a second first-inning run with a grounder that advanced Robinson to home.
Lily Stone's double to right center drove in the third and final run of the Falcons' debut at-bat.
After Tuskegee added a run in the bottom of the first,
Sydnee Reaves powered one into right field for a triple that drove in a pair of runs for the Falcons to extend the lead to 5-1. In the next at-bat,
Maddie Taylor brought Reeves in for UM's sixth run of the day.
Three scoreless innings later,
Ellie Derrick reached on a Tuskegee error to load the bases, and, in the next at-bat, Stone brought one runner in with a sacrifice fly. With two runners still in scoring position, Reaves hit a double to center field that brought in the final two runs of game one for Montevallo.
Freshman
Ariana Pinder got the starting nod and, with the help of the defense behind her, pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two earned runs, for her first win in a Falcon uniform.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 9 | Tuskegee 2
Records: Montevallo 2-3 | Tuskegee 1-1
Location: Cougar Field | Columbus, Ga.
GAME NOTES
- Montevallo scored nine runs on 11 hits with eight RBI and four extra-base hits. Tuskegee committed two errors.
- Reaves, Robinson, Stone, and Sloan each recorded a pair of hits with Reaves leading the pack at four RBI.
- Alisha Lanyon, Derrick, and Robinson crossed the plate two times apiece.
- Montevallo was struck out just twice during the seven-inning game.
GAME TWO
The Falcons second win of the day turned out to be a bit of a pitching duel with
Brittany Crowson throwing all seven innings. The graduate pitcher earned her first win of the season in shutout fashion with just eight hits in 32 batters faced and only two walks.
Shelby Sloan got the Falcons bats going in the first inning with a single up the right side but was thrown out in a steal attempt during the next at-bat.
Alisha Lanyon was also caught stealing after she singled to left field to end the first.
The Falcons left three runners on base during the next four innings but, a three-run blast from
Ellie Derrick in the bottom of the sixth scored the only runs of the game and gave Montevallo the 3-0 victory.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 3 | Georgia Southwestern 0
Records: Montevallo 3-3 | Georgia Southwestern 1-2
Location: Cougar Field | Columbus, Ga.
GAME NOTES
- Montevallo recorded 10 hits on 23 at-bats with three runs, three RBI, one double and a homer.
- Sloan led the charge for the Falcons with a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate while Lanyon and Derrick added two hits each.
- Derrick was the lone Falcons to drive in a run with three RBI.
- Derrick's homer in the sixth was the fifth by the Falcons so far this season and is the sophomore's first home run in a Montevallo uniform.
- Crowson's shutout win was the first time this season the Falcons didn't allow a single run.
- UM was struck out just four times in 23 at-bats.
UP NEXT: The Falcons will take the field again on Feb. 13 in the second double-header of the tournament against Columbus State and GSW at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively.
