April 18, 2011

Story courtesy of Shorter Sports Information

ROME, Ga. -- Kara Pollock broke Shorter University's (Ga.) single-game RBI record to help lead the 22nd-ranked Lady Hawks to a sweep of Southern States Athletic Conference rival Emmanuel College (Ga.) on Saturday afternoon (April 16) at the Alto Park Softball Complex.

Shorter, which improves to 31-9 overall and 17-1 in the SSAC East Division, took Game 1 by a score of 7-2 before completing the sweep with a 17-0 rout of the Lady Lions (17-24, 6-15) in Game 2.

Pollock, one of five Shorter seniors that was honored prior to the twin bill as part of the Lady Hawks' Senior Day ceremonies, produced her best single game performance as a Lady Hawk in Shorter's Game 2 triumph.

The senior from Lawrenceville drove in a school record 11 runs and tied another school record with three home runs. Two of those blasts came in the first inning as the Lady Hawks racked up 11 runs with the help of a grand slam and three-run homer from Pollock.

She added her third home run of the game in the bottom of the fourth, capping a 4-for-4, three run, 11 RBI day that also included an RBI single in the bottom of the third.

Pollock's mammoth effort came in conjunction with a strong Game 2 outing from Shorter freshman Kacey Hawkshead, who tossed a five-inning shutout in which she scattered three hits and struck out five with no walks.

Shorter had Game 2 in the bag from the outset and the first sign of things to come came from Pollock.

Charlsie Broome hit a single, Jessica Womble walked and Libby Munson reached on a bunt single to load the bases for Pollock, who launched a towering drive over the scoreboard behind the left field wall for a quick 4-0 Shorter advantage.

Pollock stepped up to the plate with two on as the 13th batter of the opening frame and went yard again, sending another no doubter to almost the same spot to cap the record setting first inning.

Several other Lady Hawks had strong games as Shorter pounded out 18 hits in the nightcap.

Munson went 3-for-3 with an RBI, Bre Johnson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and senior Amanda Albertson also drove in a run.

In Game 1, Anna Frazee hit a three-run homer and Munson shut down Emmanuel College after giving up a pair in the first as Shorter won going away, 7-2.

The Lady Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run single from Whitney Hillman in the first, but Munson scattered five hits the rest of the way to keep Emmanuel from inflicting any further damage.

Shorter's bats awoke in the third. Jackie Castenada led off the frame with a triple then scored on a single from Broome. Shorter got two more runs across when a bunt single from Munson plated Albertson. Broome came around to score when the ball squirted away on the throw to the plate and Shorter led 3-2.

Munson stroked an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth for a 4-2 edge and Frazee delivered the telling blow several batters later with a moon shot to left, her team-high ninth of the season, that extended Shorter's lead to 7-2.

Munson and Castenada had multi-hit games for the Lady Hawks going 2-for-3. Munson got the win and improved to 18-3 on the year by allowing two earned runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts.