FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats returned home and posted a pair of wins. Fort Valley State used two multi-run frames in each game and swept Paine College, 6-3 and 10-4, in softball Tuesday afternoon.
Tied at 3-3 in the opener, FVSU (4-6) broke the deadlock when Mariah Williams scored on an error and then Laila Leverett doubled home two more scores. Taylor Orr shut the door in the circle on Paine College (6-6) over the final three frames. In Game 2, Leah Leonard tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run in the home first before Aundraya Lavaud sliced an inside-the-park grand slam home run to break open the game, 5-1, and the Wildcats never gave up the lead from there.
The pair of wins was FVSU's first doubleheader sweep of the season. The Wildcat offense saw five multi-hit players of the 15 recorded on the day.
Along with her grand slam home run, Lavaud added a run-scoring single to go with a run and five RBI. Leonard went 2 for 4 in the late game with the solo homer, two runs and a stolen base. Mariah Williams finished 2 for 5 in the two games with a double, two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base. E'Lisia Vickers double in each contest with two runs, a RBI and two times hit by a pitch. Riley Jenkins rounded out the group with a 2 for 2 game two where she scored twice, drove in one score and stole a base.
Leverett doubled and Jennifer Ramirez had a RBI single, while each of Alexia Scott, Avery Thomas and Zayla Skakel rounded out those with one hit.
Taylor Scott picked up both pitching wins of the day in relief of Rachel Clark. Scott logged 6.2 innings of relief where she did not allow a run in the first game and two in the second and seven total hits with six strikeouts.
Game 1
Trailing 2-0 after a half inning, Riley Youngblood lofted a sac fly to plate Williams, who was hit by a pitch and stole second, with the first home run of the day.
In the home fourth, Vickers drove in the tying run with a double and Ramirez reached on an error to push another run home for a 3-2 lead. After Paine tied it in the top of the fifth, William broke the 3-3 tie with a run on an visitor error before the Leverett two-run double to finish the scoring.
After giving up a hit to the first batter she faced, Orr scattered two more hits and struck out three in the final two frames.
Game 2
Leonard tied the game with her solo home run in the home first. With two outs in the second, Skakel was hit by a pitch, Jenkins singled and Thomas walked to load the bases before Lavaud cleared them with the inside the park grand slam for a 5-1 lead.
Leading 6-2 heading to the home fifth, Jenkins and Lavaud both had run-scoring singles before Williams doubled home the third tally and 9-2 advantage.
Orr allowed her only two runs in the top of the sixth, but no more in the seventh to seal the sweep.
FVSU will move on for a Thursday evening (Feb. 22) single game at Wesleyan College starting at 6:30 p.m.
-Wildcats-
