FORT VALLEY, Ga. – For the first time in the a couple weeks, the Wildcats enjoyed their friendly confines Thursday afternoon. Fort Valley State received walk-off hits from both Zayla Skakel and Taylor Orr as it brought the storm to the Tornadoes, 8-0 and 11-3 both in five innings of softball action.
Wasting no time in the first at bat after Rachel Clark struck out the first three outs, FVSU (14-12) saw Mariah Williams blast a solo home run and it never trailed from there. Leading 7-0 in the home fifth, Jennifer Ramirez led off with a single and moved to second on an error. After moving to third on a ground out, Skakel lined the game-ender to center for the 8-0 run-rule.
Leading 8-3 going to the bottom of the fifth, Riley Youngblood hit home two of the three runners on base with a single, before Orr belted a RBI double for the second walk-off hit of the afternoon.
With a 23-hit attack for the Wildcats, Scott powered to a 3 for 3 opening contest and 4 for 6 overall to lead the hitting with a double and a triple as she drove in four and scored once. A trio of three-hit players led the way in Williams, Youngblood, and Ramirez. After her solo home run in the opener, Williams made it a perfect 3 for 3 day with four runs and two stolen bases. Youngblood went 3 for 7 with three RBI, while Ramirez was 3 for 5 with three runs and a pair of stolen bases.
Skakel registered hits in both his at bats in game one with a run and one driven in, while Laila Leverett singled and tripled in Game 1. Chasity Kates had two hits in the late contest with a pair of runs and a stolen base. Orr doubled and singled with two RBI of Game 2. Aundraya Lavaud and Avery Thomas, who drove in three runners, accounted for the final hits.
Rachel Clark fired a strong opening four frames for the first victory where she gave up four hits, walked one and struck out five. Orr logged the final inning and kept Talladega off the scoreboard. Taylor Watson gave up her lone earned run in the top of the first of the late contest, but settled down and gave up only two hits in the final four innings for the other victory.
Game 1
Following Williams lead-off homer, Leverett tripled with two outs and went home on a Scott double, who scored herself on a Thomas single to make it 3-0. In the home fourth, Leah Leonard laid down an RBI sac bunt before Youngblood and Scott had run-scoring hits as part of four scores.
Game 2
The Tornadoes put their lone three runs of the day on the scoreboard in the first. The visiting lead did not last long. Kates and Williams singled and Youngblood reached on an error to load the bases right away. Kates ran home on a wild pitch before her base-running mates each scored on back-to-back fielder's choices from Thomas and Riley Jenkins to tie the game. Scott drove in a pair with a triple for a 5-3 lead.
Orr helped the Wildcats add three runs in the fourth with a RBI single and finished the game with a two-bagger in the fifth.
FVSU remains at home for a weekend series starting on Saturday afternoon, March 23, with a twinbill at 1 and 3 p.m. against Benedict College.
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