#16 Softball Shuts Out Sweet Briar Twice on Sunday

#16 Softball Shuts Out Sweet Briar Twice on Sunday
SWEET BRIAR – The #16 ranked Roanoke College softball team shut out Sweet Briar College in double-header action on Sunday afternoon, winning 10-0 in each of the two games.  The Maroons now have a record of 22-5; 10-0 ODAC, while the Vixens are 0-18; 0-16 in ODAC play.
 
In the first game of the day, Kelly Higbie (10-4) pitched a complete game, five inning no-hitter.  She faced 19 batters, striking out 10 of the Vixens.  This is the first time that Higbie has pitched a no-hitter in her career at Roanoke College.
 
The Maroons put three runs on the board in the first inning of the game.  Stephanie Clark hit an RBI double to left field, plating Alea Bier.  Hollee Warlitner followed with an RBI triple, allowing Clark to cross the plate.  As the next batter, Alexis Roop hit a single up the middle, scoring Warlitner.  After the top of the first inning, the Maroons held a 3-0 lead.  Alea Bier hit an RBI double of her own in the second inning to score Rhea Schleicher and take a 4-0 lead.
 
In the top of the third inning, Roanoke tallied three more runs.  Rhea Schleicher plated Katie Romano and Meghan Weingard.  Schleicher crossed the plate after Bier had another RBI by hitting a single up the middle.  For the third time in the game, the Maroons plated three runs in an inning, scoring three more in the top of the fifth.  Bier had her third RBI of the game by hitting another double to the outfield, scoring Schleicher.  Caitlin Manuel later tripled to right field, scoring Bier.  The final run of the game after Stephanie Clark hit an infield single, allowing Manuel to score.  After five innings, the Maroons won 10-0.
 
Bier and Clark led the team in hitting for the game, each finishing with three hits.  Bier led the team in RBIs with three, while Clark and Schleicher had two each.  Schleicher led the team in runs scored with three, while Bier crossed the plate twice.
 
In the second game, the Maroons got a slower start to getting the runs on the board.  In the top of the second, Ashley Crouch hit an RBI single to score Schleicher.  Roanoke found two more runs in the top of the fourth inning off of an RBI double by Morgan Wood, and a sacrifice flyball by Schleicher.  After four innings, the Maroons held a 3-0 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth, Clark tallied an RBI on an infield out, allowing Bier to cross the plate.  An error during Schleicher's at bat allowed Manuel to tally the fifth run for the Maroons.  In the top of the sixth inning, Bier and Manuel hit back to back triples that allowed three runs to score.  The next two runs came off of RBI doubles by Warlitner and Roop, as Roanoke built a 10-0 lead.  The Maroons held off the Vixens for the final half inning to win 10-0 in six innings.
 
Manuel led the Maroons in hitting, going 3-4 in the contest.  She was followed by Bier, Warlitner and Crouch who finished the game with two hits apiece.  Bier led the team again with two RBIs.  Bier, Manual and Warlitner each crossed the plate twice during the game.  Ashley Crouch (2-0) finished the game with her first career shutout.  She gave up no runs off four hits and struck out five batters.
 
The Maroons return to action on Saturday, April 13th as they take on Randolph College on the Road.  The first game is scheduled for a 1:00 PM first pitch.
 
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