MT. CARMEL, Ill. -- Wabash Valley celebrated Sophomore Day in a big way on Saturday. The Lady Warriors swept Shawnee, 17-0 and 6-3, in a Great Rivers Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at Paul Schnarre Field.
The Warriors improved to 21-34 overall and 16-22 in GRAC play, and they extended their winning streak to four games. Shawnee fell to 4-47 and 3-35 with the losses.
Coach Jade Montgomery honored the 10 sophomores on her team in a ceremony after the games. As one of the youngest head coaches in the country herself, it was easy to reflect on this always emotional moment.
"I remembered this like it was my time, which is not that many years ago," she chuckled. "But, losing 10 (sophomores) – that is a lot. And they are a great group of girls. So, it is definitely bittersweet."
In the first game, the Lady Warriors "made some adjustments," according to Montgomery. After a scoreless start, they scored four runs in the third, then uncorked 13 runs – the biggest single scoring output of the season – in the fourth.
Sophomore Jayley Akers celebrated in her own way, simply by returning to the lineup after recovering from a shoulder injury. She hit two 3-run home runs good for six runs batted in, bringing her team-leading totals to 11 homers and 42 RBIs.
"It was nice to have her back," Montgomery said.
Gracee Sullivan added a 3-run shot, the bulk of her 5 RBI game. Adie Nolley finished with 3 RBIs and hit a solo blast as well.
In the second game, Wabash Valley opened a 3-3 game by scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it 6-3.
Nolley brought home what turned out to be the winning runs when she reached on a hard ground ball booted by the shortstop, making it 5-3. Abby Schreiner added a two-out RBI single to make it 6-3.
Demi Wolfe then set the Saints down 1-2-3 in the seventh for the win. She worked the final two innings after starter Lexi Burris went five.
In fact, it was Wolfe who earned the win in both games, after throwing three innings of one-hit ball with the start in the opener. She is now 10-15 on the year.
The Lady Warriors hit two more home runs in the second game: Kinsly Heichelbech and Marisa Lane both delivered solo shots.
The Lady Warriors finish the regular season on Monday at No. 17 Lake Land (44-10, 34-4), a team they split against on April 2 in Mt. Carmel.