COLUMBUS, Miss. – Maryville kept the bats rolling and pitched a fifth straight shutout as part of a doubleheader sweep of Mississippi-Women by the scores of 10-0 and 9-6 Friday afternoon. The first game was halted after six innings by the run-rule.
In that opening win, the Scots scored in the first on an RBI-groundout from
Bailey Myers. The score stayed 1-0 until Maryville added three more in the fifth.
Cierra Hudson had an RBI-single and
Sara Koonce a run-scoring triple before Koonce stole home as part of a double-steal with Myers for a 4-0 MC advantage.
The Scots then exploded for six runs in the sixth inning.
Campbell White came off the bench and did what she has been doing all season, delivering a two-run double to left center. Koonce added a two-RBI single and
Paige Dickinson a two-RBI double to round out the Maryville scoring.
Megan Ackerman picked up the Game 1 win, pitching four innings of shutout ball and allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out three. Ackerman with the victory improved to 8-8 and reached the .500 mark for the first time this season.
Chloe Boyd mopped up with two hitless innings and Maryville completed its fifth shutout in succession.
The Scots had shut out Wesleyan twice back on April 2, Covenant twice Wednesday and then MUW on Friday. Maryville has combined for eight shutouts thus far in 2023.
In Game 2, the Scots again scored first in the first, this time on a Myers run-scoring single. They added another single run in the second on
Annie Fowler's groundout for a 2-0 advantage.
31 Straight Scoreless Innings
After retiring the Owls in their half of the first, Maryville's streak of 31 consecutive scoreless innings came to a halt when MUW scored two runs to tie the game 2-2.
The Scots answered with six big runs in the third to take command. Dickinson blasted a bases-loaded double to right center that scored all three, and then
Emma Blankenship singled through the left side for an RBI and a 6-2 advantage.
Micayla Clark singled up the middle for another run and then
Brecca Williams lofted a sacrifice fly for an 8-2 cushion.
MUW closed within 8-5 but then Maryville added an insurance tally in the seventh when Williams drove home Hudson with a single. Boyd closed out the victory, pitching the final 1 1/3 innings for her first career save.
Kennedy Henry notched the win with 2 2/3 innings of middle relief, improving to 3-1.
Jenica Brown was the Maryville hitting leader in the doubleheader, going 4-for-7 with three runs scored and a stolen base. Koonce played just the first game and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Williams and Myers both contributed two hits across the twin bill.
Maryville outhit MUW 21-10 in the two games.
The Scots have won a season-high six games in a row and eight out of nine, improving to 18-11 overall. They carry their 8-2 Collegiate Conference of the South record into Saturday's doubleheader at first-place Belhaven (20-11, 10-2). Start time is 10 a.m. Central.
