Box Score Patient bats by Maryville College, coupled with Essence Strambler's three-run bomb, led the Scots to a monstrous 17-0 win over Berea College to open the 2018 season.
Strambler, Morgan Brewer and Rachel Taylor each recorded a trio of RBI, while Maryville drew 12 walks in the five-inning contest.
Maryville hit .478 for the game, going 11-of-23, as the Scots relied on the pitcher perfection of freshman Katlyn Smith and junior Nicole Blackburn. The duo allowed just four hits, while tallying seven strikeouts in the non-conference game.
Berea College gave up a big first inning, as the Scots took advantage of seven walks and a pair of hit-by-pitches. Maryville scored nine in the first inning through 14 batters. Brewer added a two-RBI double off the fence in right-center in the thrilling inning, while Alexus Murray also recorded a pair of RBIs with a single and an error to left. After the first inning, the Scots led 9-0.
A pair of errors and walks aided the Scots again. Casey Joliff had a pinch-hitting RBI single down the left-field line to score Christen Torres, before Murray tallied her third RBI of the afternoon with a single up the middle to play the Christina White. Taylor slapped a two-RBI shot to left-center, as Murray and Ashton Hayden scored for 13-0 Maryville advantage going to the third.
The Scots again extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth. A lead-off double off the top of the left-center fence by Taylor Campbell was quickly followed by an RBI single to right-center from Brewer. Campbell scored on the play, before Strambler's three-run bomb to left plated Brewer and Aly Snider. That would give the Scots the 17-0 win over the Mountaineers in five innings.
Maryville (1-0) was led by Strambler's 2-for-2 effort, while she added a trio of RBI and a run scored. Taylor Weston 1-for-2 with three RBI, while also plating a run. Brewer went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, as Murray was 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI.
Campbell went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, while Snider went 1-for-2 with a run plated. Hayden (3), Torres (2) and White (2) added runs for Maryville while drawing a combined seven walks.
Smith earned her first collegiate victory in two innings pitched. She gave up just one hit, while striking out four. Blackburn came in as relief, giving up a trio of hits in three innings. She struck out three in the win.
Berea saw Devan Dowdell, Lillian Setters, Kourtney Parker and Annelise Hackney tally a hit each in the loss. The Mountaineers left seven base runners stranded in the five-inning contest.
