California Baptist University
Azusa Pacific
COUGAR KILLING
4/14/2007 7:00:00 AM | Softball
AZUSA, Calif. --- Chantal Millard and Shawna Rainwater combined to smash 5 doubles, as the NAIA's top-ranked California Baptist blasted Azusa Pacific in a 9-1, 11-0 twin-killing Saturday afternoon.
The Lancers offense combined to pound out 22 hits, while the tandem of Candice and Amy Thomas allowed just one earned run on 6 hits in the sweep, which is California Baptist's eighth doubleheader sweep in GSAC play this season. The Lancers' record improves to 42-2, 17-1 with the victories, which drop the Cougars to 13-21, 3-15.
En route to a bit of a deceptive final score in game one, as designated player Keeley Johnson made good on her first start in the conference season with an RBI double to plate Rainwater, who had drawn a one-out walk in the second inning. That was the Lancers' only runs until the fifth, when Geanie Jenkins drew a 2-out walk, advanced to second on Casandrah Carreon's single, and came around to score on Rainwater's double down the left-field line to make the score 2-0.
The Lancers blew the game open with a 3-run sixth inning, as another walk from Azusa Pacific starter Erin Halma--who issued 7 free passes in 7 innings--opened the frame. Halma continued to struggle with her control, walking pinch-hitter Karina Slauenwhite to put 2 aboard with no outs in the inning. Sara Goforth's sacrifice bunt was then mishandled by Cougar third baseman Bethany Weisser, allowing 2 runs to score and Goforth to move all the way to third. After Millard's single to Halma, the Azusa Pacific starter was pulled for reliever Camille Hundley, against whom Goforth and Millard executed a double-steal to make the score 5-1.
After Courtney Cleaves doubled and scored the only Cougar run of the day in the bottom of the sixth, the Lancers struck back with 4 runs in their half of the seventh inning, with aleadoff walk to Rainwater resulting in the first run of the inning. Goforth and Nikki Lowe each notched RBI singles in the inning, as the Lancers benefited from a big error in the frame.
Candice Thomas picked up the win, with 7 innings where she allowed just one earned run on 5 hits, 7 strikeouts and no walks to improve to 21-1. Halma (5-12) took the loss after giving up 9 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits, 7 walks and one strikeout.
The Lancers came out swinging in game 2, with a 3-run first inning off starter Bre Anderson (1-2), who lasted just 1.1 innings while allowing 7 earned runs on 7 hits, no walks and no strikeouts. Millard was hit with a pitch with one as the first link to a bases-clearing double from Rainwater, who ended with 5 RBI on the afternoon.
Goforth and Millard hit back-to-back RBI doubles in a 6-run second inning, as Jenkins and Hurlbut each had RBI singles in the fracus, which included 2 seperate run-scoring wild pitches from Halma, who by that time had come on in relief.
Free passes to pinch hitters Courtney Weber and Nikki Lee, as well as an Annie Oakley to Lowe set the table for Carreon's 2-out, 2-run single in the fifth inning, as the Lancers won in an 11-0 rout.
Amy Thomas improved to 21-1 with the win, as she went 5 innings and allowed only one baserunner--a 2-out single to Tami Carter in the fourth inning. Besides that, she was perfect, striking out 5 without issuing a walk.
