MONTICELLO, ARK. – The East Central University softball team picked up two shutout wins over Arkansas-Monticello in the first day of the Great American Conference series. The Tigers won game one 1-0 and then took game two 5-0.
The Tigers (30-23, 21-20 GAC) were paced by freshman
Nikki Herrin, with a .429 average, three hits and one run. Senior
Haley Hyatt added a .333 mark, two hits, a run and a team-high two RBIs.
Freshman
Sierra Skaggs earned her first career shutout in game two, allowing seven hits and striking out two. Senior
Kelbie Crelia earned the win in game one, allowing just three hits and adds a K to her season totals.
The teams will wrap up the series and the regular-season, Saturday, April 29 with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
ECU 1, UAM 0
The opening game was a true pitching battle, with just nine base runners in the innings where a run was not scored. The Tigers added three more base runners in the second inning when they scored the lone run of the game.
Herrin started the inning with a single and was sent to third on sacrifice bunts by sophomore
Breecia Crawford and redshirt sophomore
Aundrea Hamric. That allowed senior
Haley Hyatt to earn an RBI with a single through the left side.
The game remained 1-0 for the Tigers through the final inning. Both pitchers allowed just nine total hits in the game.
ECU 5, UAM 0
ECU started the scoring in game two in the third inning, taking a 5-0 lead.
After the first out, junior
Alissa Taylor reached on a single and was able to get around to score when junior
Claresha Clemons followed with a double down the right line.
The second out was recorded before sophomore
Mariah Ewy reached on an error that allowed Clemons to score. Herrin added a single and the final run came when Hamric reached on an error.
The Tigers added to the lead in the sixth, with two runs, for a 5-0 advantage. Hamric led off by reaching due to an error and then stole second. The first out put Hamric on third, which allowed Hyatt to earn an RBI with a single up the middle.
Hyatt then stole second as well, putting her in scoring position when Taylor singled to right field.
ECU allowed just one base runner in the seventh inning to hold on for the 5-0 victory.
