April 9, 2007

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Thomas (Ga.) University scored 11 unearned runs as they swept a non-conference softball doubleheader 9-2 and 10-4 from the Savannah College of Art and Design Saturday afternoon at the Paulson Softball Complex.

The 19th-ranked Night Hawks improved to 18-13 while the sixth-ranked Bees slipped to 26-4. SCAD returns to action next Saturday (April 14) with a noon Florida Sun Conference doubleheader against Edward Waters College at the Paulson Softball Complex.

Thomas jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the third inning of the opener off SCAD starter Kristen Curette (10-1) on just one hit--Stacey Ward's single to left field. However, the Night Hawks cashed in on four miscues from the Bees, who committed 10 errors in the doubleheader.

The Bees cut the lead to 6-2 in the fourth when Brittany Kelley, who went 2-for-3, smacked her fifth homer of the season over the left field; however, Thomas added three insurance runs in the sixth, including two off Tiffany DePriest's homer to left.

Kylie Berryman pitched four innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.

Thomas took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the second game as Katie Pickelsimer, who reached on a double to right-center field, scored on Revana Rainwater's ground out. The Bees tied the game at 1 in the bottom half of the inning on Curette's sacrifice bunt that scored Cristina Morgado, who had an infield hit to start the rally.

Thomas broke the game open with five runs--all unearned-- in the second inning off SCAD starter Meghan Temple (10-2), as the Bees were guilty of four more errors. Tina Donaldson gave the Night Hawks the lead for good at 3-1 on her two-run single through the right side.

After SCAD got a run back in its half of the second on Andrea Helenthal's fifth homer of the season, the Night Hawks added two more runs in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead. Pickelsimer connected on a leadoff home run down the left-field line and Joann Tosh added a RBI double.

The Bees trimmed the deficit to 8-4 with two unearned runs in the fifth.Whitney Hess had an RBI single for SCAD in the inning. Thomas closed out the scoring with back-to-back run-scoring singles by Donaldson and Pickelsimer in the sixth.

Staci David struck out four to earn the complete-game victory for the Night Hawks.