A weekend power surge from senior Katie Singler helped guide the Braves’ softball team to a sweep of Indiana State, 5-2 and 10-3.
During Saturday’s double-header, Singler homered in both games, racking up four RBIs, while sparking the Braves to consecutive wins for the first time in conference play.
The pitching for the Braves was impressive in the first game of the double-header. Freshman Madeline Lynch-Crumrine started off strong, retiring nine consecutive Sycamores.
In the bottom of the third, Singler blasted her first home run, giving the Braves the lead 1-0.
The Sycamores scored two off of Lynch-Crumrine in the following inning thanks to the Sycamores’ Kim Pierece’s two out, two-run double to center field.
The Braves answered back quickly the next inning, scoring three runs.
Lynch-Crumrine reached base on a sacrifice bunt and junior Jackie Roth hit a two-run home run. Next, Singler drew a walk and later scored on a wild pitch, taking the lead 5-2.
“We’ll need a consistent offense like this if we’re going to keep playing,” said coach Amy Hayes. “That’s what we’ve lacked all year.”
After that, Lynch-Crumrine shut the door on the Sycamores, recording 10 consecutive outs for the win.
“[Lynch-Crumrine] is a real bulldog when she wants to be,” Hayes said. “When she’s pitching that well, we have a good chance of winning.”
The second game of the day had an even larger offensive explosion for the Braves, sparked yet again by a first inning, three-run home run by Singler.
While not as sharp as Lynch-Crumrine, starter Mackenzie Camp kept the Sycamores at bay until the third inning.
Pierce started the inning with a home run off of Camp. Then Sycamores’ Bailey Wittenauer drove in a run with a double and scored off of a single by Stephanie Johnson.
From there on, Camp kept the Sycamores from scoring again.
“It’s nice when you can shut the door on a team like that,” Hayes said.
In the sixth inning, the Braves exploded for five runs. Senior Katelyn Kegley started the inning with her fourth hit of the day and Roth had a RBI, scoring Kegley with a single.
Then, the Braves loaded the bases and scored on a wild pitch, a groundout by junior Julie Sherman and a two-run triple by senior Brittany Fairbairn.
With the 10-3 victory, the Braves swept the two game series with the Sycamores, pushing Indiana State to last place in the Missouri Valley Conference and putting themselves into second to last place.
This weekend, the Braves will travel to Evansville, Ind. to take on the Purple Aces. If the Braves sweep the three-game series, they will pass Evansville and take sole possession of eight-place in the Valley.
The Braves will return home May 7th to take on the Wichita State Shockers for their final series of the regular season.
