Ravens Softball used strong pitching and timely hitting to pick up a doubleheader sweep Saturday afternoon.
The Ravens topped the Friends Falcons at home, taking the first game 8-1 and then finishing the sweep with a 5-2 victory.
Game 1
The Ravens went hitless through the first three innings of the first game, but when they hit, they bunched their hits together.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Clare Heitz doubled to record the Ravens first hit in the game. She was immediately brought home on a single by Chloe Strickland to give the Ravens a 1-0 lead.
The Falcons tied the score, 1-1, in the top of the sixth, but the home squad bunched several hits together in the bottom of the sixth to take control.
Abby Pressgrove got things started with a single and Baylee Knorr followed with her own single. Heitz launched her second double of the game, scoring both runners. Heitz scored on a single by Natalie Sheffield, then Sheffield scored on Kera Willoughby's double. Kassidy James singled home a pair of runners and was brought home by another single by Knorr. When the dust had settled, the Ravens scored 7 runs on 9 hits in the sixth inning.
Willoughby closed out a complete game in the circle with a 1-2-3 seventh inning as the Ravens won 8-1. Willoughby scattered 7 hits in her complete game win, improving her pitching record to 5-1 on the season.
Game 2
The Ravens finished off the sweep by taking the second game with a 5-2 final. Once again, it was timely hitting that gave the Ravens the lead, this time in the bottom of the third inning.
Rhiannon Martin started things off with a single and then moved to second on Ryan Cooper's bunt single. James brought home Martin with a single, and then the bases were loaded after a Pressgrove bunt.
Knorr brought home Cooper with a sacrifice fly, then Heitz drove home James with a single, and Pressgrove scored on a sacrifice bunt by Chloe Strickland. The Ravens plated 4 runs on 5 hits in the inning.
Heitz provided another punch in the fifth inning, doubling home Knorr to put the Ravens up 5-0. Heitz totaled 5 hits and 4 RBIs in Saturday's doubleheader.
The Falcons scored twice in the sixth inning, but Bailey Selvage kept control of the game to pick up her ninth win of the season. Selvage pitched a complete game, collecting 10 strikeouts.
The (RV) Ravens (18-4) will have a week off before their final non-conference doubleheader, a 1 p.m. home start Sunday, March 17 against Morningside.
