LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The Berry College softball team (4-0) continued their win streak to start the season as they swept the Covenant College Scots winning 13-1 and 4-0 on Thursday afternoon on the road.
Game 1:
Ava Fouts (2-0) picked up her second win pitching 4 innings allowing one run on five hits while walking two and striking out six. Lauren Cothern led the offense going 3-for-4 with two home runs and 5 RBIs.
The Vikings struck first in the top of the second as Megan Rapillo delivered a one out RBI single up the middle to make it 1-0. Fouts meanwhile continued to shut down the Scots offense while the Vikings added to their lead in the top of the third. The Vikings would get three straight hits to start the inning including a double by Erica Bennett and a single by Cothern to increase their lead to 4-0.
The Scots would finally find some offense in the bottom of the third as they made it 4-1 but Fouts came back to get a huge strikeout to limit the damage. The Vikings would then break open the game in the top of the fourth. With two on and nobody out Cothern ripped an RBI single to left to drive in her second run of the game and make it 5-1. A couple batters later Latifa Madesko ripped a two run double to left to make it 7-1. Then with two outs Kennedy Moody crushed her first home run of the season to left center to give the Vikings a huge 9-1 advantage.
The Scots looked for a response in the bottom of the fourth but Fouts worked out of trouble to keep them off the board. The Vikings offense then exploded in the bottom half as Cothern crushed her second home run of the season, a three run blast to extend the Vikings lead to 12-1. Avery Greeson then delivered an RBI single as the Vikings prevailed 13-1 in five innings.
Game 2:
JJ Sweat (2-0) picked up her second win throwing a complete game 7 inning shutout allowing eight hits while striking out 10. Erica Bennett led the offense going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Vikings got off to a quick start in the second game as Fouts led off with a triple and then scored on a sac fly by Elly Bennett to put the Vikings up 1-0. Three batters later Erica Bennett ripped an RBI single up the middle to increase the Vikings lead to 2-0. JJ Sweat meanwhile continued to dazzle in her second start for the Vikings shutting down the Scots offense as she put them down in order in the bottom of the first and bottom of the fourth.
The Vikings would add to their lead in the top of the sixth as they loaded the bases with two down and forced across another run on a wild pitch to increase their lead to 3-0. The Scots tried to answer in the bottom of the sixth as they finally put some pressure on Sweat, but Elly Bennett came up with a huge throw from center field on a base hit to nab the Scots runner at home and keep it 3-0.
The Vikings would then scratch across another run in the top of the seventh on an error to increase their lead to 4-0. The Scots tried again to rally in the bottom of the seventh with runners on the corners and one out but Sweat retired the final two batters one via strikeout as the Viking won 4-0.
The Vikings continue their season on the road as they head down to LaGrange, GA to take on LaGrange in a doubleheader on Wednesday, February 25 at 3:00 PM.
