Strong Pitching Enables UVa-Wise Softball Sweep of UCumberlands
 
April 13, 2006
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

Wise, VA -- The Lady Cavs' trio of pitchers kept the Lady Patriots batters in check for almost the whole afternoon in a softball twinbill sweep. Mallory Mazur fired a four-hitter in a 1-0 UVa-Wise opening victory before Dani Benton and Amanda Wheeler combined in the 4-2 second win.

UVa-Wise took its record to 25-13 in preparation for the key pair of Appalachian Athletic Conference Wednesday contests at King College starting at 4:00 p.m. University of the Cumberlands fell to 20-23 for the year.

Mazur posted her third complete game shutout of the season. The freshman from Virginia Beach, VA fanned nine batters over eight innings while allowing four hits and walking one to improve to 9-6. Benton (11-5) allowed one run in five innings for the second game win while Wheeler picked up her third save pitching the final two frames. Britney Lawson and Mary Wilson paced the Lady Cavs at the plate with three hits apiece. Lawson scored twice and lined a triple while Wilson doubled. Alicia King recorded two doubles for her two hits on the day while Ashley Addington had two singles in game two.

In the opener, the game was scoreless after seven innings. Mazur worked out of two runners on to hold the Lady Patriots without scoring in the top of the eighth. Lawson started the bottom of the inning on second, was sacrificed to third by Benton before scoring on a sac fly to left field from King for the 1-0 win.

UVa-Wise did not take as long to score in the nightcap with a pair in the third. Lawson tripled to center field to lead off the at bat. Benton reached on a fielder's choice which scored Lawson on catcher's interference. Benton move to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Wilson's two-bagger to right field to go ahead 2-0.

University of the Cumberlands plated one time in the top of the fifth before UVa-Wise added another pair in the bottom of the frame. Benton was hit by a pitch and stole second base. King doubled to drive her home and later scored on a Wilson single for a 4-1 score. The Lady Patriots were able to add one tally in the seventh but Wheeler forced the final ground out and 4-2 win.