Softball shuts out Millsaps, 5-0 and 11-0
Senior Melissa Muehlenfeld
4/9/2009 8:07:45 PM
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Behind solid pitching performances by senior Melissa Muehlenfeld and junior Tori Harris, the No. 21 Birmingham-Southern softball team picked up two wins against Millsaps College today, winning 5-0 in game one and 11-0 in game two in five innings. The Panthers move to 27-3 with the wins, while the Majors drop to 12-17. The teams will face each other again tomorrow, April 10, at 1 p.m. at BSC Softball Park in the home finale for the Panthers. Seniors Kayla Backlund, Erin Glover, and Muehlenfeld will be honored in pregame festivities.
In game one, the Panthers put three runs on the board in the bottom of the third inning on a two-RBI single by freshman Ashley Bice and an RBI single from freshman Brittany Vintson. BSC scored two more in the bottom of the fourth after Muehlenfeld led off with a triple, and Backlund tripled to plate Muehlenfeld. Junior Jena Franks also hit an RBI single to put BSC up 5-0. The Panthers held Millsaps scoreless for the remainder of the game for the win.
Muehlenfeld pitched all seven innings, moving to 12-2 on the season after giving up only two hits with eight strikeouts. She also led at the plate for BSC, going 2-3. Kasey Thibodeaux took the loss for Millsaps, allowing seven hits and three earned runs with five strikeouts to drop to 6-8.
In the nightcap, Backlund put BSC on the board in the bottom of the first with a home run over the right-field wall, her sixth of the season. Bice led off the bottom of the second with another bomb, this time to left field, putting the Panthers up 2-0.
In the bottom of the third, Muehlenfeld scored on an error, freshman Ronni Ferris stole home on a double steal, and Franks hit a home run to left field to put the Panthers up 6-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers scored on an RBI single by Muehlenfeld, an RBI single by Bice, and a two-RBI double by Harris, who then scored on another error, putting BSC up 11-0. Millsaps wasn't able to score in the top of the fifth, and the game ended early to give BSC the 11-0 shutout win.
Harris threw five innings for BSC and gave up five hits with three strikeouts to move to 7-1 on the season. Thibodeaux took the loss for Millsaps again, dropping to 6-0 after going two innings and giving up six hits and five earned runs with a strikeout. Brittney McAllister came in for the final two innings and allowed four hits and one earned run with two strikeouts.
Muehlenfeld and Ferris were both 2-3 at the plate for the Panthers, and Bice was 2-2. Tiffany Ladnier and Erica Douglas were also 2-3 for the Majors.