WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Lewis University's softball team picked up wins over Winona State 6-1 and No. 10 Trevecca Nazarene 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at Diamond Plex in Winter Haven, Fla. The Flyers extend their winning streak to four and improve to 8-5 overall.
Cierra Taylor (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) and
Olivia Magaldi (Mishawka, Ind./Penn) led Lewis' offense combining for 10 hits and seven RBI in the two contests.
Game 1 – Lewis 6 Winona State 1
Taylor started the game against the Warriors (5-5) with a bang leading off the game with a home run to right.
WSU tied the score in the second on a lead-off home run to center off the bat of second baseman Libby Neveau.
The Flyers responded scoring three runs on two hits in the bottom of the second. Taylor drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single to right. Later in the inning, Magaldi came into score on a double steal attempt as Taylor was thrown out at second for the second out of the inning.
Lewis added two more runs in the fourth on Taylor's two-run single to center scoring Magaldi and
Morgan Weber (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland).
That would be all the run support
Sara Serena (Kankakee, Ill./Kankakee) needed as she held the Warriors to just one run on seven hits with five strikeouts in a complete game effort to pick up her second straight win and improve to 3-2 on the season.
Taylor and Magaldi combined for all five hits in the contest while
Jessica Lofthouse (Oswego, Ill./Oswego), Serena and Weber each drew a walk.
Game 2 – Lewis 5 No. 10 Trevecca Nazarene 2
The Flyers scored first again in the game against the Trojans (10-2). Taylor hit the third pitch she saw for a double to left center to lead-off the game. She advanced to third on a sacrifice from Lofthouse and scored on
Kristin Kavalauskas' (Oak Forest, Ill./Tinley Park) single to right.
TNU tied the scored in its half of the first. MaKray Odom led off the game with a bunt single to third, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Megan Groves one out single to left.
Lewis regained the lead in the second. Serena led off the inning with a single to center and advanced to second on an error by the center fielder. Weber lined out to left on a 3-2 pitch for the first out of the inning but Magaldi picked up her hitting a two-run homer to right center.
The Flyers tacked on another run in the fourth. With two outs, Magaldi doubled to right center and scored on
Meghan Bontrager's (Milford, Ind./Northridge) single to center.
The Trojans got a run back in the fifth scoring an unearned run on Matti Byrd's double to right field. They had the bases loaded with one out in the inning but
Katie David (Mapleton, Ill./Illini Bluffs) got of the jam by getting Lenna Robbins to line into a double play to Taylor.
Lewis added an insurance run in the seventh. Taylor led off the inning with a double, went to third on Lofthouse's sacrifice bunt and scored on Kavalauskas' single up the middle.
Trevecca Nazarene brought the tying run to the plate with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the seventh. David settled down and retired the next three batters with a strikeout, a groundout and a lineout.
The Flyers outhit the Trojans 11-6 in the contest and were led by Taylor and Kavalauskas with three hits apiece while Serena and Magaldi had two hits each.
David picked up the complete game victory allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with six strikeouts to improve to 5-2.
Lewis returns to the diamonds on Monday morning taking on Bemidji State at 8:15 a.m. (CDT) and Malone at 10:30 a.m. (CDT) in Auburndale, Fla.
