The softball program at Shawnee State salvaged a doubleheader split on the opening day of its four-game series against Mid-South Conference foe Thomas More, overcoming a 5-1 loss in Game 1 with an 11-2 victory in Game 2 Friday evening in Crestview Hills, Ky.
Shawnee State, who was held to six hits and a fourth inning RBI single from Mo Wolansky that scored courtesy runner Brooke Webb following Sunetrius Armstrong's double, exploded in Game 2 to the tune of 16 hits. Of the nine players who recorded an official at-bat in the second game, six of them enjoyed multi-hit performances.
Game 2
Ray sparkplugs SSU offense
As per usual, the Shawnee State offense was led by the strong efforts of Kylie Ray, who again proved to be a one-person wrecking crew with her performance.
In the opening inning of action, Ray's leadoff double and steal of third base allowed her fellow outfielder and good friend, Armstrong, to drive in Ray with a double of her own that put SSU ahead early on. The Michigan native drove in a run her next time up at the plate, bringing Josie Campbell in with an RBI single to break a 2-2 tie and give SSU the lead for good in the third inning.
Following her early showings, Ray helped put the game away in the fifth frame of action, driving in Ashton Rankin while Brittani Wolfenbarker came around to score on a throwing error on Ray's hit. As a result, the 5-10 outfielder contributed to four of the 11 runs scored in the game.
For the affair, Ray went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored -- all while going a perfect 3-for-3 in her stolen base attempts. Ray has now swiped 13 bases in her 14 steal attempts this season.
Armstrong gets bat working
A talented outfielder in her own right, South Canton native Sunterius Armstrong utilized her score-opening RBI double in the top half of the opening frame to aid Shawnee State in producing another run, when the left fielder came around to score on Wolfenbarker's two-out RBI single.
Later in the contest, Armstrong helped contribute to two crooked frames, leading off the five-run fifth with a leadoff single and scoring the inning's first run to help put the game out of reach with the Bears up 8-3 following the fifth inning of work. Armstrong then led off the sixth inning in similar fashion, doubling to deep left field and scoring on a Bailey Kemp RBI groundout as part of a three-run sixth frame to help close out the scoring.
For the contest, Armstrong finished the day going 3-for-4 herself with two doubles, a RBI, and a run scored.
Wolfenbarker posts tremendous outing
Helping keep the lineup moving behind Ray and Armstrong, Shawnee State freshman Brittani Wolfenbarker enjoyed a tremendous showing while also following Armstrong's efforts with base hits in the first, fifth and sixth frames.
With her RBI single scoring Armstrong and allowing Shawnee State to take a 2-0 lead after an inning of work, Wolfenbarker's RBI single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, again, scored Armstrong and officially keyed the scoring in a five-run fifth, before scoring as the second run off of Kylie Ray's hit that was misplayed in the outfield to help cap off the crooked inning. Wolfenbarker's single in the sixth frame of action also proved to be paramount as her base knock loaded the bags, paving the way for the final three-run frame that Shawnee State produced.
For the contest, Wolfenbarker went 3-for-4 with her two RBI that scored Armstrong each time and her fifth inning run to boot.
Schaefer pitches gem
Enjoying another strong outing inside the circle, Shawnee State freshman ace Hagen Schaefer enjoyed another efficient outing.
Needing only 83 pitches in her complete game performance, Schaefer allowed just five hits and struck out four batters in the triumph. The local native of West Portsmouth, who attended nearby Notre Dame High School, moved to a respectable 5-8 on the year. Schaefer also helped her own cause at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run scored to move the offensive order around.
Little, Wolansky critical as well
Along with the above quartet, Andrea Little and Mo Wolansky enjoyed strong days at the dish.
Little, who came on strong in the fifth and sixth innings in Game 2 at the plate, drove in Wolansky with a one-out, seeing-eye single in the fifth inning, then belted a two-run double in the following frame to score both Schaefer and Kemp. The catcher finished the day going 2-for-3 at the plate with the sixth-inning double, three RBI and a run scored in all.
Wolansky, after enjoying a team-leading 2-for-3 outing in Game 1, followed it up in Game 2 with a 2-for-4 performance, scoring off of the aforementioned single by Little as part of the five-run fifth.
Additional
Kemp (1-for-4, RBI, run scored) rounded out the hit column for Shawnee State, who won its seventh game of the year and its fifth game in Mid-South Conference play. Sydney Spence and Madison Sifford combined to allow just three earned runs in Game 1, with Spence striking out four batters in her four-and-a-third innings of work in the opener.
Shawnee State will play a two-game set against Thomas More Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. in Crestview Hills to close out the four-game set.
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