FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats honored their seniors before the games and the veteran players help the program get to a new milestone! Fort Valley State used a good start to the day and a Laila Leverett walk-off triple late and took both softball contests from Trinity Baptist, 5-2 and 2-1, Saturday afternoon
FVSU started fast as Bri Stephens lined a bases-loaded single, Avery Thomas drew an RBI walk and Riley Jenkins added her own run-scoring single for a 3-0 lead it wouldn't give up in the opener.
After Trinity Baptist tied the second game with an unearned run in the top of the seventh, Stephens drew a FVSU lead-off walk. Aundraya Lauvad pinch ran and raced around to home when Leverett belted a walk-off triple to right field for the game-winner.
With the doubleheader sweep, FVSU reached the 30-win total at 30-15 for the first time in 21 years since it was 30-5 in 2003.
The Wildcats take the Saturday momentum from the pair of wins into Tuesday morning (April 30) at the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Since March 21, FVSU has went 18-3 overall and 14-1 in SIAC games and winners of its last four contests.
FVSU faces Miles College on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. in the first round at South Commons Softball Complext in Columbus, Ga.
The Wildcats produced only 11 hits in 14 at bats for the two contests, but four were triples. Stephens was the lone multi-hit player with a single in both contests with an RBI. Leah Leonard, Alexia Scott and Tiffany Rose each tripled in the first contest and Leverett had her walk-off triple in the late game.
Chasity Kates, Selena Linsenbach, Jenkins, who drove in two runners, Riley Youngblood and Jennifer Ramirez all singled.
Taylor Watson picked up both wins in the circle. For the day, the redshirt freshman went seven innings where she allowed four hits, one earned run and struck out five. Rachel Clark covered the day's first two frames which were scoreless and only two hits and two strikeouts. Taylor Orr was solid with five innings of Game 2 with two hits and two strikeouts as well.
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