Benton Shutout and Newton Hitting Helps UVa-Wise Sweep VI

March 23, 2006
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

Wise, VA – Dani Benton fired an opening game shutout and Shelley Newton hit a double, homer and drove in three runs to key The University of Virginia’s College at Wise softball sweep of Virginia Intermont. Benton scattered four hits in a 3-0 first game Lady Cavs win before the offense exploded behind Newton for a 10-2 five frames second contest victory.

The two-game sweep puts UVa-Wise on top of the Appalachian Athletic Conference softball standings at 2-0. The team takes its mark to 10-10. The Lady Cobras fall to 9-19 on the year and 0-4 in the league.

After two and a half scoreless frames, Britney Lawson ( Duffield, VA) led off the bottom of the third with a double to left center. Benton walked and Newton ground out to move up both runners. Krystal Showers followed with a two-run single for a 2-0 lead. Amber Quillen ( Kingsport, TN) led off the fourth with a single and was pinch run for by Brittany Tunnell (Wise, VA). Sarah Frazier (Big Stone Gap, VA) reached on an error and Lawson had an infield single to plate Tunnell with the third and final run of the game.

Benton didn’t need any more runs on the mound. The senior gave up only one hit in the final four innings to record her second shutout of the year, 3-0.

In the second affair, Virginia Intermont scored in the first trip to the plate on a run-scoring two-bagger from Lindsey Smith. The Lady Cavs answered with their own scores. With two outs, Newton doubled and came home on a Showers double. Quillen next singled to score Showers to take the lead. A Lady Cobra miscue allowed the third tally of the inning for a 3-1 score.

The Lady Cavs added three more runs in the second. Showers drove in a run with a hit and two unearned runs cross the plate to make it 6-1. After a two-out walk to Frazier in the third, Newton blasted her second homer of the year to center field for an 8-1 score. In the fifth, Sarah Stone ( Blountville, TN) doubled to left center to score Terri Ann Hill ( St. Paul, VA) and scored the game-ending run on a Newton hit for a 10-2 final.

Sophomore Michelle Osborne (1-0) won her first career start as she allowed two runs and two hits while fanning five.

UVa-Wise will next play at Montreat College on Saturday before hosting Concord College Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.