BUENA VISTA, Va. – The Sweet Briar College softball team (12-10, 2-2 ODAC) bested the Southern Virginia University Knights (5-13, 0-0 USA South) in both games this evening, taking game one, 5-0, and game two, 6-1.
Game One
After a scoreless first, the Vixens broke through in the top of the second. Senior
Ilka-Marie Kuleba (Endy, N.C.) and sophomore
Annie Purvis (Madison Heights, Va.) helped set the table before a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. With the bases pressured, junior
Jordan Martin (Wilmington, N.C.) laced a single up the middle to drive in Kuleba for the game's first run. Senior
Kaylie Hudson (Lynchburg, Va.) followed with another single up the middle to score junior
Ciara Nauful (Forest, Va.), pushing Sweet Briar ahead 2–0.
Sweet Briar doubled its advantage in the fourth inning by capitalizing again on traffic and pressure. Sophomore
Madeline Schmidt (Fluvanna, Va.) was hit by a pitch, then stole second and third as Martin drew a walk, with an outfield error moving Martin into scoring position as well. Hudson executed a sacrifice bunt back to the circle, bringing Schmidt home for a 3–0 lead, and moments later, first-year
Sophia Peterson (Ashland, Va.) drilled a double to left-center to score Martin and stretch the cushion to 4–0.
In the seventh, the Vixens added one final swing of insurance. With one out, sophomore
Abi Sawyers (Matthews, N.C.) turned on a pitch and launched a solo home run to left field, capping the scoring at 5–0 and punctuating Sweet Briar's balanced offensive day.
In the circle, senior
Ambyre Taylor (Arrington, Va.) delivered a dominant complete-game shutout to anchor the victory. She scattered just three hits over seven innings, did not issue a walk, and struck out nine while facing the minimum 24 batters possible over seven frames, efficiently closing the door on every Southern Virginia threat.
Game Two
Sweet Briar jumped on top early in the first inning of game two and never looked back.
With two outs, Peterson was hit by a pitch and Taylor followed with a single up the middle to put two runners aboard. Sawyers then delivered the game's biggest swing, launching a three-run homer that staked the Vixens to a 3-0 lead before Southern Virginia had a chance to settle in.
After a quiet second inning offensively, Sweet Briar added on in the third. Martin reached on an error at second and moved up to second base, setting the table for Hudson, who ripped a double up the middle to bring Martin home with an unearned run. Moments later, Peterson put the ball in play to left, and an error allowed Hudson to score from second, pushing the advantage to 5-0 and giving Sweet Briar all the cushion it would need.
The Vixens were held scoreless in the fourth and fifth, though they continued to apply pressure with baserunners and aggressive steals. In the sixth, they manufactured one more run to cap their scoring. Junior
Jordan Dorrier (Buckingham, Va.) led off with a single and moved up when senior
Anna Smith (Rocky Mount, Va.) punched a hit to shortstop, and sophomore pinch runner
Emily Cottingham (Chesterfield, Va.) came on for Smith. Cottingham and Dorrier then executed a double steal to move into scoring position, and Schmidt cashed in the opportunity with a groundout to short that plated Dorrier from third, extending the lead to 6-0 heading to the late innings.
In the circle,
Abi Sawyers was outstanding from start to finish, throwing a complete seven-inning game and allowing just one run on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts. She efficiently handled all 30 batters she faced, inducing 11 groundouts and seven flyouts while working out of traffic in the middle innings, and her lone wild pitch did not lead to a Southern Virginia run.
Highlights
- Peterson is now tied for first in the conference with 10 doubles.
- Taylor extended her league-leading strikeout total to 86.
- Sawyers totaled a team-high three RBIs in game two while also taking on starting pitcher duties.
What's Next
The Vixens will head to No. 24 Randolph-Macon on March 26th.
Visit the online home of Sweet Briar Athletics,
vixenathletics.com, to stay up-to-date on all Vixens sports and access live video coverage from the
Vixen Sports Network.
Click here to sign up for email blasts from Vixen Athletics.
To give to Sweet Briar Athletics, please fill out the form here.
You can also give the Sweet Briar Vixens a like on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Threads and X (formerly Twitter).
