March 27, 2007

Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

LAURINBURG, N.C.—Junior Samantha Stewart (Ft. Pierce, Fla.) drove in a game-high four runs while also earning the win in both games to lead the St. Andrews Presbyterian College softball team to a season-best four-game win streak with a 9-0 and 14-6 doubleheader sweep of non-conference St. Augustine’s College on Tuesday afternoon.

The Knights improved to 11-25 on the season while the Falcons fell to 5-11.

St. Andrews exploded for eight runs in the second inning of the first game. Sophomore Brittni York (Indian Trail, N.C.), who had two hits in the contest, drove in the first run with a bases-loaded bunt. Freshman Brianna Shurtleff (Colton, Calif.) drew a walk on the ensuing at-bat to plate the Knights second run. After a wild pitch made it 3-0, freshman Kailee Munden (LaVerne, Calif.) ripped a run-producing single up the middle. Stewart added a RBI-single. Freshman Morgan Farroll (Newton Grove, N.C.) capped the inning with a bases-clearing, three-run triple down the right field line.

Rushing added a triple in the third inning that scored Shurtleff for the final run of the 9-0 SAPC win. Rushing was a perfect 1-for-1 with a pair of walks. York, Munden, and Farroll all had two hits apiece for the Knights.

Stewart pitched three perfect innings to earn her fifth win of the season from the mound. Stewart fanned six of the nine batters she faced. Freshman Lauren James (Bahama, N.C.), who ripped her first collegiate hit with a double in the fourth, pitched two scoreless innings of relief to complete the shutout. St. Andrews finished with nine strikeouts in the five-inning game as James struck out three.

Freshman Janay White (Pittsboro, N.C.) broke up the perfect game bid with the Falcons only hit of the game to lead off the fifth.

St. Augustine ’s looked to bounce back in the second game by taking a 6-0 lead in the nightcap. The first four Falcon batters scored in the finale. Sophomore Diamond Andrews (Detroit, Mich.) capped the four-run first with a two-run double in the left center gap. St. Aug’s added two more unearned runs in the second.

The Knights bounced back and catapulted into an 8-6 lead with another eight-run frame in the bottom of the second. Stewart and Munden both drove in two runs in the rally. SAPC extended its lead to 11-6 with three runs in the fourth on a two-run double by freshman Nicole Easter (Lumberton, N.C.) and an RBI-single by Stewart. The eight-run rule was enforced in the fifth when the Knights scored three unearned runs on two errors by the Falcons.

Stewart improved to 6-12 on the year after allowing just one hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief work. Stewart logged four more strikeouts for 10 on the day. James struck out four from the starters roll and York had two K’s as St. Andrews had 19 total strikeouts in the double dip.

Farroll and Munden had three RBI apiece on the day while Munden and York each ripped five hits. The Knights were a perfect 6-for-6 on stolen base attempts including two swipes from both Rushing and sophomore Tiffany Capone (Jacksonville, N.C.).

St. Andrews will host non-conference Chowan University on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.