TEMPE, Ariz. – Seattle University softball (2-2) used a slow and steady attack and a big sixth inning to top Western Michigan (1-3) before recording their second run rule victory on the day over Bradley (1-2). The Redhawks finish the weekend on Sunday at 11:30 am MT/10:30 am PT.
"Kayla [Shuster-Gonzales], Bubba [Morrow], and Lisa [Maulden] all found their power today," said head coach Dan Powers. "Our pitchers were effective in their pitch counts today and even when we made a few mistakes, we were able to recover and get out of the inning. Today we showed a lot or promise for where we're going this year."
Game 1: Seattle U 12, Western Michigan 4 (6 innings)
Seattle U tacked on a single run each over the first four innings to take a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth. Bubba Morrow (Auburn, Wash.) drove in the first run with a home run to center field before Molly Campbell (San Diego, Calif.) drove in Rose Saenz (San Gabriel, Calif.) with an RBI single in the second. The third and fourth inning runs came in on sacrifice flies.
Western Michigan would get on the board in the fourth inning as Sabrina Gamboa scored the first run, but WMU would leave three on base to end the inning as Erika Rodgers (Glendora, Calif.) came up with a huge catch to end the inning.
The Redhawks would add eight more runs over the final two innings, in the fifth on a pair of RBI doubles and in the six-run sixth, thank in part to a 3RBI home run by Lisa Maulden (Maple Valley, Wash.) with two outs.
Reliever Lindsay Davis (Palo Cedro, Calif.) retired the batters in order in the bottom of the sixth as the Redhawks earned the win, 12-4, in six innings.
Alyssa Reuble (Lynnwood, Wash.) earned the win giving up just one run on four hits while walking three and striking out one in four innings pitched. Allyson Kus was handed the loss for WMU giving up three runs on four hits while walking one and striking out two in three innings pitched.
Morrow led the Redhawks at the plate with three runs on three hits as well as three RBI’s in the win.
Seattle U 11, Bradley 3 (5 innings)
Bradley would strike first with a run in their first time up, but the Redhawks would respond with five runs in the bottom of the first to lead, 5-1, and would keep the lead for the duration.
SU tacked on two more runs in the second and another in the third on the first of two home runs from Kayla Shuster-Gonzales (Escondido, Calif.) and an RBI single by Isabella Geronimo (San Mateo, Calif.).
Bradley threatened in the fourth with a pair of runs but Shuster-Gonzales would hit her second home run of the game in the fourth to put SU up, 9-3, going into the fifth.
Breanna Timmons (Santa Maria, Calif.) scored on an RBI single by Sara Dominguez (Santa Ynez, Calif.) and Maulden would drive in Julia Bragado (San Diego, Calif.) for the walkoff RBI single, ending the game in the bottom of the fifth.
In the circle, Amanda Barna was handed the loss, giving up the first three Seattle U runs while walking two in just one third inning pitched. Mandie Sugita (Rossmoor, Calif.) earned the complete game win allowing three runs, one earned, while walking one in five innings pitched.