ROME -- The Hawks hot streak at home continued Friday afternoon as they swept the doubleheader with Union to move to 5-0 in the Gulf South Conference and at Alto Park this year. In the opener Shorter needed just five innings to top the Bulldogs, 9-0; while in the finale they earned the win, 9-1, in six innings.
Niki Cook put the Hawks on the board in the first inning of the first game as she scored on a single from
Kameron Carter after singling to start the game and stealing second.
The major damage, however, came in the third inning as Shorter (7-1, 5-0 GSC) tacked on eight runs on four hits. With one out,
Kendall Johnson walked and advanced to second on a fielder's choice to Carter, before coming in on a single from
Ericka Bynum, scoring the innings first run.
Peyton Barthel then walked, and
Becca Gomez followed with an RBI single to right field to plate Carter. Bynum then scored on a single from
Maddie Hunt, and Barthel came in on a bases loaded walk to Cook.
Tiffany Holland then reached on a fielder's choice, bringing in both Hunt and Gomez to bring Shorter's lead to 7-0. The final runs of the inning scored as Johnson, in her second at bat of the inning, delivered a 2 RBI double down the left field line.
Union (2-12, 1-4 GSC) threatened in the fifth as Reagan Schrader reached on a walk and Madison Tennyson delivered the Bulldog's only hit of the game, a bunt single, but neither scored as Schrader was out at third on a fielder's choice and Whitney Christian grounded out to first base.
Payton Lippert earned the win, her third of the season, pitching a complete game, one hit gem with two walks and four strikeouts. She also dropped her already miniscule ERA by fourteen points, from 0.70 to 0.56. And she increases her streak to 19 innings without allowing an earned run.
In the second game, Shorter got things going in the first inning, posting four runs on five hits. Cook once again lead off with a single and stole second, before coming in on a hit by Holland. Johnson followed with an RBI single to bring in Holland, and came in to score herself on a single from Carter; who scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from
Savannah Thomas later in the inning.
The Hawks added to it with two runs in the second to make it a 6-0 game as Cook and Holland scored on a 2 RBI double from Johnson; before making it a 7-0 game in the fourth when Cook came in to score on a single from Carter after singling and stealing second for the third time on the day.
Union broke the shutout in the fifth with one run on one hit as Marley Dyess scored on an Emily Bennett single after leading off the inning with a walk.
Shorter earned the win with two additional runs in the sixth for the 9-1 final score as Johnson scored on an error by the second baseman after reaching base on a single. Carter then came in on a single from Thomas for the game's final run.
Brittany Cagle earned the win for Shorter, her first of the season in her first appearance of the year; allowing one run on one hit with three walks and strikeout through three innings of relief.
Hannah Draper made the start, keeping the Bulldogs scoreless through three innings, allowing two hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Both Johnson and Cook tallied four hits on the day, with three each in the second game. Cook also added three stolen bases and improved her batting average from .500 to .556. While Johnson finished with five RBI on the day.
Shorter will look to complete the series sweep of the Bulldogs Saturday beginning at 12:00pm at Alto Park.
