FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats used both sides of the equation Saturday for a pair of Conference wins. Rachel Clark fired a 3-hit gem in the opener and then the Fort Valley State exploded for 15 runs in the final three at bats of the late contest for the comeback softball sweep of Benedict College, 8-0 in five innings and 16-8 in six frames.
Clark gave up on three singles with one each in the first, third and fifth innings without walking a Tiger batter and fanned four for her second appearance without allowing an opposing run. The FVSU offense gave her a Laila Leverett first-frame sac fly and a Mariah Williams lead-off third inning solo homer, before the team recorded seven hits in eight batters, including a two-run Alexia Scott double and an Avery Thomas RBI triple to end the game, for the final six runs of the fifth at bat.
In the late contest, Benedict built a 7-1 lead heading to the home fourth. The Wildcats (16-12/10-3 SIAC East) hit their stride from there. With the bases loaded and one out in the home fourth, Leah Leonard fly was misplayed to score two and Riley Youngblood added a sac fly to pull within 7-4. The Tigers answered with one run in the fifth for an 8-4 tally, but the lead did not last. Following three runs with a two-run fielder's choice from Williams, Leonard tripled her home to tie the contest at 8-8. The home explosion erupted in the sixth with the game-ending eight-run outburst with the big hits being a Williams' bases-clearing triple and Youngblood RBI double before Riley Jenkins lined a hard grounder to short, which was misplayed, to score Scott with the final run for the run-rule.
FVSU had the bats going to a tune of 26 hits in only 11 at bats and they came from throughout the lineup with five 3-hit and five 2-hit Wildcats. Lead-off hitter Williams was 3 for 5 with 6 runs, 6 RBI with a solo homer run and 3-run triple. Jennifer Ramirez added a 3 for 6 day with four runs and one RBI, while Ashtyn Perkins went 3 for 4 with three runs and a one RBI. Chasity Kates chipped in her own 3 for 5 afternoon with two runs and an RBI and Jenkins had a 3 for 5 second game with a run and drove in one.
Youngblood had a double and single with three RBI, Leverett hit 2 for 2 in the opener with a run and an RBI, and Scott doubled and single with four runs and two RBI. Thomas chipped in a triple and single with one RBI and Bri Stephens lined a pinch-hit run-scoring single in the Game 2 comeback.
Along with Clark's strong opener pitching performance, Taylor Watson went the six innings of the late game where she gave up two earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
FVSU and Benedict completes their 3-game series on Sunday afternoon (March 24) in a 1 p.m. single game.
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