COLUMBIA, S.C. (Mar. 27, 2021) – The No. 20 Truett McConnell University softball team faced Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Columbia International University on the road on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Bears dominated their sixth AAC sweep taking game one 14-3 in five innings and blanking the Knights in game two in six innings (9-0). The sweep put TMU at 20-6, 13-1 AAC on the season, while the Rams fell to 11-18, 6-8 AAC.

Overall, TMU has now recorded a total of 171 runs through 26 games, while holding their opponents to a total of 60. Nationally, the team ranks third in opponent batting average (.188), 11th in fielding percentage (.972),12th in total runs scored (171) and 17th in total hits (226).
 
GAME ONE 14-3 | 5 INNINGS
The Rams got up on the board first in the bottom of the first (0-2), but a Mattie Brooks leadoff double down the left field line at the top of the second gave the Lady Bears the spark they needed. Katherine Kozlowski followed up with a double of her own, which drove home Brooks (1-2). A CIU defensive error, off of a Sabrina Pestana Aguiar batted ball, scored Kozlowski and Mikayla Sullens, who reached base on a single up the middle, (3-2) to put the Lady Bears out front for good. Justine Kennington squeezed home Barrett (4-2) to cap off TMU's winning inning.
 
The Lady Bears scored three more runs at the top of the third on Lauren Barrett's double to the left-center fence. Barrett ran home herself after a wild throw that tried to prevent Barrett from stretching to third (7-2). CIU scored a run of their own in the bottom of the third (7-3), but that would be the last time as TMU put the game out of reach in the fifth with six more runs off of five hits and two defensive errors (14-3).
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Overall, the Lady Bears recorded a total of 11 hits, in comparison to CIU's six, and were individually led by Lawson and Sullens who went 2-for-3. Lawson led with three RBIs alongside Barrett (1-for-2). Kozlowski went 2-for-4 with three runs and two doubles. Alicia Price went 1-for-2 with two runs, while Pestana Aguiar went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
 
Pitcher Bethany Hyde made the start for TMU and earned her ninth win of the season. Hyde pitched three innings of five hits, three runs, three walks and five strikeouts. Hyde now has a total of 69 strikeouts on the year. Karley Hobbs relieved for two innings allowing one hit, zero runs, one walk and recorded one strikeout.
 
GAME TWO 9-0 | 6 INNINGS
TMU's momentum proved to carry over into the second game. Briley Lawson hit a two-run home run, which scored Sara Sullivan who reached on a single to left, over the left field fence on 1-2 count to put TMU on the board first at the top of the first (2-0). The bottom of the first saw center fielder Sullivan rob a two-run home run that would have fallen right over the center field fence, which would have tied it up 2-2. Barrett went on to lead off the second with a single to center and scored on Ellie Abner's single to shallow right-center (3-0), and Abner ran home on a CIU defensive error (4-0).
 
Still holding the Rams scoreless, Sullivan, once again, singled to lead off the third and scored on a Barrett single to extend TMU's lead to five (5-0). Although neither team scored in the fourth and fifth innings, Barrett sparked a four-run inning for TMU in the sixth with a leadoff infield single. Barrett scored on Sullens' batted ball to third (6-0), Pestana Aguiar scored on a CIU misplayed grounder (7-0) and Kataryna Fuller and Kennington scored on Lawson's double to deep right-center (9-0), which ultimately put the mercy rule into effect for the second straight game as the Rams were held scoreless one last time in the bottom of the sixth.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
TMU outshined the Rams offensively once again. The Lady Bears recorded 11 hits to CIU's five and were individually led by Barrett's perfect 3-for-3 outing. Barrett also had two runs and one RBI. Lawson went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, while Sullivan also went 2-for-4 with two runs. Abner went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
 
Hobbs pitched a shutout game of five hits, zero walks and six strikeouts to earn her 11th win of her junior campaign. Hobbs' overall season ERA is currently sitting at 1.96.
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears will look to host No. 8 Reinhardt University on Tuesday, March 30, at 4:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m., and Bryan College on Thursday, April 1, at 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. TMU's senior day is on Saturday, April 3, when they face Columbia College at 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m.,