Great teams simply find different ways to win games.

The Shawnee State softball program hasn't always had the bats cranking, nor a smooth road through its first 16 games in 2024.

However, when the going gets tough, Kristen Bradshaw's group simply seems to find another gear.

After jumping out to a 1-0 lead in Game 1 on Lauren Spears' double and an outfield error that allowed Spears to score on the same play, the Bluefield Rams' softball program rallied back to take a 2-1 advantage after three innings of play.

However, Spears, a veteran leader in the two-hole, responded again.

Following an error that allowed Shawnee State to score the game-tying run in the fourth inning of Game 1, Spears shot a two-run blast over the left field fence in the fifth inning that put Shawnee State ahead to stay in a 5-2 victory in the opener.

That homer not only sparked the Bears to a triumph in Game 1, but carried over to Game 2 as Shawnee State posted 13 runs on 14 hits in a 13-4, five-inning mercy rule victory over Bluefield to cap a doubleheader sweep at Graham Rec Park in Bluefield, Va. Wednesday.

Over the two affairs, Shawnee State scored 18 runs on 21 hits between both contests, showcasing its best stuff again offensively. However, the Bears, perhaps more impressively, did not commit a single error in 18 defensive chances between the two games.

Game 1

Shawnee State struck quickly in Game 1, as Spears roped a double to the outfield and advanced home on the ensuing outfield error to quickly put the Bears in front by a 1-0 count.

Singles by Bluefield's MacKenzie Franklin and Chloe Hicks and a hit batter allowed local native Alayshia Griffith of nearby Tazewell, Va. to drive in a pair of runs with a single to left field to put the Rams ahead by a 2-1 margin after two innings of work, but the Bears limited the damage from there.

In the fourth frame, back-to-back singles by Sierra Dunnagan and Cassie Berry and a sacrifice bunt by Bianca Belo-Diaz that moved the aforementioned runners into scoring position was followed by an error that scored Dunnagan, knotting the score at two runs apiece.

Then, in the fifth inning, a one-out walk by Jenna Christopher was followed by Spears' big fly to left field -- as the junior's second home run of the year and her team-leading 10th extra base hit of 2024 put the Bears ahead by a 4-2 margin. Shawnee State, however, wasn't done adding on -- as Berry's two-out single to center field was followed by an RBI double by Belo-Diaz, providing another important insurance run that put the Bears in front by a 5-2 margin after five innings of work.

From there, it was all Berry as the senior standout threw six innings of five-hit baseball while striking out nine and walking just two. Genavie Espinoza came in and threw a clean seventh inning in the circle to seal the victory.

Game 2

Inspired by yet another back-half rally, Shawnee State faced little trouble in Game 2 as the Bears immediately jumped all over the Rams.

After an error and a single by Lauren Spears, along with a sacrifice bunt, Mackenzie Hale's two-RBI double to left field brought both Spears and Jenna Christopher around to score. Freshman Gracey McCullough then stepped up two batters later with two out in the first inning and drove in Hale with an infield single, giving Shawnee State a 3-0 lead after the opening half inning of work.

When Bluefield responded with two runs on a single by Chloe Hicks and a double by MacKenzie Franklin, Shawnee State countered with four runs in the top of the fourth.

A triple by talented sophomore Lexie Lockwood with one out in the top of the fourth set up an RBI opportunity for Brittani Wolfenbarker, who cashed in by driving in Lockwood with an RBI base knock.

Three more singles followed in succession, with Christopher, Spears and Sierra Dunnagan all posting hits that resulted in Wolfenbarker, Christopher and Spears eventually scoring in the frame, pushing Shawnee State's lead to a 7-2 mark.

Bluefield, again, rallied with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth as Carrington Sasser launched a two-run homer to bring the Rams within 7-4 after four innings of work, but in the following half-inning, Shawnee State ran away with matters.

Despite getting two outs in quick succession, Wolfenbarker's two-out base knock was followed by a two-RBI triple from Jenna Christopher -- who posted her second triple over her last three at-bats in the game -- that scored both Wolfenbarker and Allison Tom who had reached earlier in the fifth inning on an error.

Spears and Dunnagan followed with base hits that led to Christopher and Spears scoring, and Hale capped off the six-run fifth in style by mashing a two-run blast to left field to complete the Shawnee State scoring.

With a comfortable lead in her pocket, Amariah Hoerner worked her way to another complete game -- as Hoerner threw an eight-hitter and rallied from the fourth inning home run by countering with eight timely strikeouts to help limit the Bluefield offense.

Additional

Between both games, Lauren Spears went 5-for-8 with a home run, a double, four RBI and five runs scored while Sierra Dunnagan went 4-for-7 with an RBI and two runs scored, Brittani Wolfenbarker 3-for-6 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored and Jenna Christopher 3-for-7 with two triples, two RBI and four runs scored. Mackenzie Hale added in a 2-for-6 performance with a home run, a double and a team-high six RBI to complete the multi-hit performers between both games.

Cassie Berry's 2-for-4 outing with a run scored in Game 1, Lexie Lockwood's 1-for-3 effort with a triple and run scored in the four-run fourth inning of Game 2, and Gracey McCullough's 1-for-3 outing with an RBI in Game 2 were among the remaining offensive leaders, as was Bianca Belo-Diaz who finished 1-for-2 with her fifth-inning RBI double to go along with a walk in Game 1.

Shawnee State (14-2) returns to River States Conference action this weekend with a pair of conference matchups at West Virginia Tech Friday afternoon, followed by a pair of conference contests at Rio Grande Saturday afternoon. Those doubleheaders start at 1 p.m. Friday afternoon in Beckley, W. Va. and 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon in Rio Grande, Ohio respectively.

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