Courtesy Lyon College Athletics Department
BATESVILLE, Ark. – The Lyon College softball team came up with key hits at opportune times on Monday afternoon as senior Lauren Mills had a 5-for-8 effort at the plate, with a pair of doubles, while picking up both wins in the circle in the Scots’ doubleheader sweep of Benedictine University at Springfield (Ill.), 5-2 and 6-2, at Howard & Mary House Field.
The win inched the Scots (8-28, 4-8 AMC) ahead of the Bulldogs (5-13, 3-7 AMC) into seventh place in the American Midwest Conference race. Lyon is seven games behind first-place and No. 5-ranked Williams Baptist College (30-2, 10-0 AMC), but only three games behind fourth-place Hannibal-LaGrange University (12-14, 7-5 AMC), two games behind fifth-place Missouri Baptist University (14-11, 7-7 AMC), and trails William Woods University (10-12, 3-5 AMC) by a game.
The Scots will be at home on Wednesday to battle Hannibal-LaGrange in a 2 p.m. twinbill.
Lyon College 5, Benedictine University 2 (Game 1)
After the Bulldogs tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the sixth, the Lyon College bats came alive in the bottom of the frame as the Scots scored four runs to pull away for a 5-2 decision in Game 1.
Eight different Lyon players registered a hit in the contest, led by rightfielder Savannah Graham’s 2-for-3 effort. Graham also scored a pair of runs.
Lyon’s Amanda McCauley tagged a double and drove in two runs, while scoring one for herself. Valerie Howell also connected with a double, as did Mills. Mills also drove in a pair of runs.
Other Scots recording hits were Apple Filat, Kelsey Goodman, Stephanie Haft and Whitney Keith.
Mills (6-14) was the winner in the circle. She went the distance, throwing 96 pitches, while allowing just one earned run (2 total) on seven scattered hits. She also fanned five and walked one.
Stephanie Angelo (3-6) was the losing pitcher. In six innings she allowed four earned runs (5 total) on nine hits, with three strikeouts.
Stephanie Dwyer and Shelbi Tudor were the leading hitters for the Bulldogs with two hits apiece.
Lyon College 6, Benedictine University 2 (Game 2)
A five-run fifth inning was the difference in Game 2 as the Scots used four of the team’s 13 hits in the contest to put the game out of reach in a 6-2 win.
Mills was a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish to pace the Lyon offensive assault. She doubled, drove in a pair of runs and plated once. Howell also had a hot bad, connecting with a two-bagger, while posting a 3-for-4 effort. She also drove in a run and scored once.
Filat singled three times in the game, while scoring once, and newcomer Whitney Keith had a 2-for-3 contest, with three RBIs and a double. Goodman also singled.
Logan Taylor and Madeline Jiardina both had a pair of hits for Benedictine.
Mills (7-14) only three 73 pitches in Game 2, but still registered the win. She gave up just two runs on eight hits. Frankie Shoaf (2-7) was the losing hurler for the Bulldogs, giving up six earned runs on 13 hits.
Benedictine looked like it was going to give the Scots trouble early on, opening up a 2-0 lead after the fourth frame. But Keith’s double keyed the five-run fifth, driving in a pair of runs. Other Scots picking up hits in the frame included Filat, Howell and Mills, while McCauley, Graham and Haft all drew walks.