MT. CARMEL, Ill. -- The Wabash Valley softball team is now on its' longest winning streak of the season after a doubleheader sweep of Rend Lake in Great Rivers Athletic Conference play on Friday at Paul Schnarre Field.
The 2-1 and 9-1 victories improved the Lady Warriors to 12-22 overall but to within one game of the .500 mark in GRAC games (7-8).
In fact, Jade Montgomery's team has now won three games in a row and five of its' last seven, including a split with 18th-ranked Lake Land. She could see that recent trend of success at work in Friday's twinbill.
"We've had a really good past two series against really good teams," Montgomery said. "We came out (today) and knew what was going to come at us. This was the third and fourth time we have seen (Rend Lake, a team they split with on Mar. 20). So, we had some adjustments to make to make sure we came out strong and found a way to win both games."
Both games ended in walk off fashion. In the opener, Abby Schreiner singled to right field with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Kamille Johnson with the winning run. The nitecap ended with an eight-run fifth, which suddenly turned a 1-1 game into a 9-1 Wabash Valley win via the eight-run rule. Kinsly Heichelbech finished things with an RBI double to center that scored Marisa Lane with the ninth and final run.
The Lady Warriors shined in the circle as well. Demi Wolfe went the distance in the opener, giving Rend Lake just one run and three hits. She struck out three batters in a 94-pitch win, her second against Rend Lake this season.
"To come out and hold a team the second time through to one run is huge for us," said Montgomery of the first-year hurler.
Lexi Burress also tossed a complete game in the finale, allowing six hits while striking out five batters in five innings of work.
Schreiner finished the day 5-for-7 at the plate. Heichelbech was 4-for-7.
Lawrenceville sophomore Jayley Akers, who put on a show on Thursday against John A. Logan with two home runs on a 6-for-6 day at the plate, came within inches of a grand slam in the fifth. Instead, her fly ball hit off the top of the center field fence for a two-run double.
"(Akers) has been a huge mood-setter for us, and finding a way to get us going," Montgomery said.
A little psychological ploy by the Lady Warrior coach may have spurred the flourish that brought a quick end to the second game.
"We have a long week ahead of us. So, it was we either come out and find a way to score some runs and take the weekend off and enjoy Easter with our families, or we will be back here early in the morning practicing.
"Sometimes a little motivation goes a long way."
WVC has four doubleheaders piled up next week. Monday, the Lady Warriors travel to Kaskaskia (16-12, 4-6), before hosting Frontier (18-12) on Tuesday and Southeastern (15-14, 6-9) on Thursday, before wrapping up the week on Friday at Shawnee (3-28, 2-14).