Saunders, Ware claim victories in pitcher's circle

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on April 8, 2010 2:19 PM

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WILSON -- Sarah Saunders and Kristin Ware combined for 13 solid innings inside the pitcher's circle Wednesday afternoon, and Mount Olive College swept in-state archrival Barton on the Conference Carolinas softball scene.

Saunders retired the final 12 batters she faced in six-inning stint, staking the Trojans to a 6-4 victory in the opener. Ware recorded the save in relief of Saunders, then threw her third complete-game decision of the season -- a 5-3 triumph in the nightcap.

Mount Olive captured its fourth series sweep of Barton since 2004 and leads the overall series 12-3 during Jaime Kylis-Higginbotham's tenure as head coach.

The Bulldogs forged a 4-4, third-inning tie when Saunders found her groove on the rubber. The right-handed sophomore sat down the next 12 batters, including an inning-ending pop-up in the sixth.

Alyssa Bradshaw provided the game-winning run, an RBI sacrifice fly to shallow center field, which allowed the speedy Kelly Minshew to easily score from third base in the fifth.

Olivia Poppin and Kayla Voorhees delivered back-to-back, two-out hits in the sixth to account for the run, and give Ware a two-run cushion in the seventh. Ware induced a game-ending, double-play grounder to seal the deal.

In game two, Mount Olive (20-26 overall, 9-8 CC) grabbed a three-run advantage in the first inning on Aubrey Reinhard's two-RBI single and Bradshaw's RBI base knock.

Barton climbed within 3-2 and later pulled within 4-3.

Minshew's sixth-inning, sacrifice fly put MOC ahead 5-3.

Ware (8-6) struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh, but gave up a single to keep the Dogs alive. She ended the game on a groundout to short.

Ware finished with seven strikeouts.

The Trojans conclude conference play Sunday at in-state foe Lees-McRae.