MACON, GA- The Berea College Mountaineers came to town for a pair of CCS conference matchups, the Wolves coming out on top 9-1 and 10-1 in the pair of contests. Arielle Wallace put on a clinic at the plate finishing the day with 5 hits in 6 tries including a pair of doubles and 5 runs scored. Sabrina Bowen had her best day this season racking up 3 hits including a double, and Katelyn McCord had another good showing with 3 more hits and a double of her own. Tihana Zupanic was stellar once again in the circle earning both wins and striking out 18 Berea batters in her 10 innings of work.
Game 1
The Wolves got on the board in the bottom of the second inning taking a 1-0 lead when Sabrina Bowen bunted her way on base with 1 out. A stolen base and a pass ball would put her on third and bring Taylor Frye to the plate with two outs. Frye would get the job done with a ball on the ground to the right side that was mishandled by the Mountaineers and allowed Bowen to score. The Mountaineers would answer back, scoring a run of their own in the next half inning when back to back singles and a walk loaded the bases with 1 away. A sacrifice fly drove in a run before Zupanic was able to work out the jam with a pop out to Saunya Sawyers at second base. Wesleyan would take the lead right back with 3 one out singles off the bats of Wallace, Presley Edwards, and Katelyn McCord to take a 2-1 lead going to the 4th. Berea would threaten again with back to back singles to start the inning, but Zupanic retired the next three hitters all via strikeout, her 7th 8th and 9th of the game. Wesleyan would open the game up in the bottom of the 5th with 4 runs. Another lead off single by Wallace would get things going. A McCord single, Sabrina Bowen single, and walk to Sam Bowen would drive in 1, and another hit with runners on base by Frye would score another. Emilee Stevenson would draw a bases loaded walk to drive in another Wolves run and make the score 6-1 Wolves going to the 6th. Three quick outs by Zupanic and the Wolves defense in the top of the inning brought them back to the dish and they carried the offensive momentum from the 5th as Arielle Wallace reached for the 4th time drawing a lead off walk. A defensive miscue would put Edwards on base, and a walk to McCord would load the bases with nobody out for the Wolves. Wallace would score on a passed ball before Sabrina Bowen bunted her way on to load the bases once again, and Sam Bowen ended the ball game early with a 2 RBI single through the right side to make the final score 9-1 Wolves.
Game 2
Zupanic would start game 2 as she finished game 1 with a 3 up 3 down first to put the Wolves at the plate quickly. A lead off walk to Frye followed by a 2 out double by Wallace and a 2 out single by Edwards would find the Wolves leading 2-0 after the first inning. The Wesleyan defense remained stout in the 2nd retiring the Mountaineers in order, and the Wolves would take advantage of a throwing error to plate 2 more in the bottom of the inning when a bunt down the first base line was thrown away and allowed Frye, who reached via walk, to score and sent Emilee Stevenson scampering all the way home to put the Wolves up 4-0. The Mountaineers would get on the board in the 4th with a lead off double and a defensive miscue on a stolen base attempt allowed the runner to score. Zupanic would strike out a pair to end the inning with the Wolves still leading 4-1. A lead off single by Stevenson, followed by doubles off the bat of Wallace, McCord, and Sabrina Bowen would plate 3 more for Wesleyan running the score to 7-1. Sam Bowen would reach with a hit by pitch to load the bases once again, before Kaitlyn Bennett delivered an RBI groundout to make the score 8-1. With 2 outs a ball off the bat of Taylor Frye was mishandled by the Berea defensive allowing both of the speedy Bowen sisters to score and increase the Wolves lead to 10-1. Katelyn McCord would enter to relieve Zupanic and toss a clean 5th inning ending in a strikeout to end the game in the 5th with the Wolves on top 10-1.
The Wolves will look for a weekend sweep as the Maryville Scots come to town today to play another pair of CCS conference contests. First pitch is scheduled for 12pm.
