MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Playing in their first Gulf South Conference game in the history of the program the Auburn Montgomery softball team toppled the reigning league champions Mississippi College on Saturday afternoon, earning a 13-4 victory in five innings as part of the 2018 GSC Opening Weekend Festival.
 
NOTES
• AUM improves to 4-1 on the season overall with a 1-0 mark in league play.
• MC falls to 3-4 and 0-1 in the GSC.
• Junior Natalie Johnsey (1-0) was credited with the for AUM while MC's Kristen Gardner (0-2) took the loss.
• The Warhawks are now 2-0 against the Choctaws since moving to NCAA Division II last season.
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Third baseman Hannah Dailey went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in, three runs scored and three stolen bases.
• Outfielder Amy Persinger was 2-for-3 on the day with a double and a triple, adding three RBI and one run scored to her stat line.
• Johnsey picked up the win in relief for the Warhawks, allowing two runs on three hits with one strikeout in 3.0 innings of work to improve to 1-0 on the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Designated player Jaycie Walker drove in the game's first run on a double to left-center to give AUM the early advantage. Dailey would single to center to drive in Walker and then Persinger would triple to drive in Dailey, giving AUM a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first.
• Second baseman Gracie Harris hit her first career home run in the top of the second, belting it over the fence in right centerfield with Jasmine Thompson on first to give the Warhawks a 5-0 advantage.
• MC would get two runs back in the bottom of the second, before Kendall Tucker would get a run back for AUM in the top of the third on a bunt single that scored Dailey from third.
• The Choctaws would plate to more runners in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 6-4, but would explode for five runs in the top of the fourth, highlighted by a Persinger 2-RBI double and an Abby Kruger 2-RBI single up the middle which gave AUM an 11-4 lead.
• Dailey would pick up two more RBI in the top of the fifth to give AUM a nine-run advantage. The Choctaws were unable to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the frame, giving the Warhawks the 13-4 five-inning victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
• Both teams left six runners on base.
• AUM was 11-for-26 as a team with eight walks while MC was 9-for-24 with no walks.
• The Warhawks stole eight bases in the contest.
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks will play Union University at 2:30 p.m. at the GSC Festival.
 
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