OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College softball team closed out its weekend series against Alderson Broaddus with a pair of 8-0 wins on Saturday morning. The Panthers swept the Great Midwest Athletic Conference series 4-0 while outscoring the Battlers 23-0. With the pair of wins on Saturday, Kentucky Wesleyan moves to 26-16 overall and 11-5 in conference play.
Game One: Alderson Broaddus 0 – Kentucky Wesleyan 8
The Panthers scored two in the bottom of the first to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead. Back-to-back sacrifice flies from Courtney Lockwood and Lexie Mullen scored Meredith Daunhauer and Maddie Dawson.
Facing one out and one on in the third, Mallory Nease doubled to right field, scoring Lockwood. Abbey Winstead followed that with a sacrifice fly of her own, bringing home Mullen and putting the Panthers ahead 4-0.
That lead was extended to six in the bottom of the fourth with Tidwell knocking a one-run single to right field. With runners on the corners, Lockwood grounded out to the pitcher but Daunhauer was able to score from third.
Mallory Nease led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to right field and scored on a single up the middle from Winstead. Kentucky Wesleyan scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth after Mullen ripped a line drive up the middle, scoring Jaylin Tidwell.
Maci Brown pitcher her fourth complete game of the season in her conference-leading 13th win of the season. The sophomore struck out three while allowing five hits and one walk.
Daunhauer finished game one a perfect four-for-four at the plate with two runs scored. Tidwell, Mullen and Nease each went two-for-three while Lockwood, Winstead and Jamie Tempel tabbed one hit a piece. Lockwood, Mullen and Winstead led the way with two runs batted in each.
Game Two: Alderson Broaddus 0 – Kentucky Wesleyan 8
The Panthers kept rolling in game two, pounding out 13 hits in the five inning game. Tempel drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the single with a single to right center. With one out and the bases loaded, Jaclyn Parker brought home Winstead, reaching on a fielder's choice.
Winstead put the Panthers ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the third, driving home Mullen with a sacrifice fly to right field.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kentucky Wesleyan scored two runs off of three hits, all with two outs. Tidwell singled to center field and reached third on a misplay by the center fielder. Daunhauer showed off her speed, scoring from first on the play. Tidwell was driven home by Lockwood who hit a hard groundball to the third basemen.
Kentucky Wesleyan didn't slow down in the fifth inning, scoring five runs. Nease and Winstead tabbed back-to-back singles, and Parker was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Dawson drove in two with a single to right center, and Tidwell singled through the right side to score the final run for the Panthers.
Casey Smith earned her fourth win of the season in her second complete game shut out of the weekend. The senior struck out two and allowed two hits and one walk in 5.0 innings pitched.
Nease went a perfect three-for-three in game two with two runs scored. Dawson finished three-for-four with two runs driven in while Daunhauer and Tidwell both tabbed two hits. Lockwood, Winstead and Tempel each recorded one hit.
The Panthers remain home on Tuesday, hosting Trevecca Nazarene in a G-MAC doubleheader beginning at 12 pm CT. Kentucky Wesleyan will head to first place Cedarville this weekend, with a pair of doubleheaders set for 11 am CT on Friday and Saturday.
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