MONTGOMERY, Ala. ---- The No. 19 Auburn University at Montgomery softball team split a pair of pitching duals against No. 7 William Carey on Friday, falling in the opening 2-1, while winning the nightcap, 1-0.
With the split, the Warhawks now stand at 26-16 on the season and 10-8 in Southern States Athletic Conference play. The Lady Crusaders improved to 35-8 overall and 12-4 in league games.
On the afternoon, the AUM duo of Brandi Richards and Cassie Daniels allowed just eight combined hits, while striking out 20 hitters.
In the victory, Shea Driggers plated the lone run of the game with a RBI single in sixth inning, scoring Jyssica Pepper, who led off the frame with a single.
Daniels did the rest, allowing just four hits and striking out six in the shutout victory. Daniels improved to 9-6 on the season with the win.
Alli McCaleb (9-4) took the loss, allowing just the one run on five hits, while walking two.
Richards (6-9) tossed the opener, allowing four hits and two runs, while striking out 14. The Covington, Ga., native allowed three of the hits in the top of the seventh inning, as the Lady Crusaders pushed across the first two runs of the game.
Driggers blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the frame to pull the Warhawks to within one, but Alyssa Boutwell (19-3) was able to slam the door and complete the victory. Boutwell scattered five hits and struck out eight in the win.
AUM had an opportunity to get on the board one inning earlier and put the pressure on William Carey. Joanna Reynolds led off the frame with a double, but was stranded at second base after Boutwell retired Pepper on the pop up to second base, Laci Driggers on a fly out to left field and Richards on a lineout to centerfield.
Reynolds finished game one 2-for-2 for the Warhawks. Jasmine Shelby and Kayleigh Anspach each drove in runs for the Lady Crusaders.
AUM will return to action Saturday by hosting Thomas University in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The contest will also be the Warhawks' Youth Softball Day, where all local youth players who wear their team jersey to the game will receive free admission to the contest, as well as a free hotdog voucher from the concessions stand. In addition, they will have an opportunity to run the bases between games and will receive an autographed poster from the 2012 Warhawks.
