Royals Sweep Tigers to Claim Their First FSC Title
LAKE WALES, Fla. – The Warner Southern College softball team swept Edward Waters College today (April 26) 8-0 (5 innings) and 13-2 (5 innings) en route to claiming their first Florida Sun Conference title in the program’s history. The Royals close out the regular season with an overall record of 34-9 and a 17-3 mark in conference. The Tigers end their season 11-35 and 0-20 in conference.
In the opener, the Royals set the tone early by exploding for five runs in the first inning. Whitney Carroll scored the first run on a passed ball. Hope Franklin then hit a single to drive in the following run. Freshman Saundra Flores drove in two runs on her single up the middle. Senior Lyndsey Geib drove in the fifth run of the inning on a single to centerfield. Flores registered her third RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly in the third inning.
In the fourth inning the Royals got the two runs they needed to end the game due to the eight run mercy rule. Whitney Carroll hit a single bunt to score in the first run and senior Jessica Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score the final run of the game.
Senior Anna Maria Jordan started on the mound and pitched a no-hitter in her final regular season game as a Royal. Jordan struck out two in her five innings of work to gain to remain perfect for the season at 7-0.
The Tigers shook off the loss from the first game and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on the conference champs in the first inning. Center fielder Ashly Williams reached on a fielder’s choice which brought in Jazzmon Solomon. Marquinta Ridgel drove in the second run for the Tigers with an infield single.
Down two, the Royals quickly scored a run in the bottom of the inning, to cut the lead in half. Staci Fernandez hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in the first run, one of her season high six RBI’s.
The offense found their groove in the following inning as they exploded for their second five-run inning of the doubleheader. Fernandez with the hot bat hit a two-run double to centerfield. Brittany Anderson scored the third run on an error. Franklin hit a triple to centerfield and Melissa Jenks hit a single to left field to each drive in the final two runs of the inning.
The Royals scored three more runs in the third inning, two of the runs came courtesy of Fernandez who had another two run double, this time to left center. Geib hit a RBI single to close out the scoring for the inning.
In the fourth inning the Royals put up an extra four runs to end the game in five innings. Jermeka Nixon hit a RBI single to left field; Anderson hit a RBI double to centerfield and Fernandez hit a RBI triple to score three of the runs. Earlier in the inning Julie Frank scored on an error by the catcher.
Coming off her victory against #8 Savannah College of Art & Design, Samantha Swofford started on the mound and pitched the complete game, allowing only two hits, two runs and striking out three for her ninth victory of the season.
The Royals have a week off before they travel to Savannah, Ga. to compete in the NAIA Region XIV Championship. The games begin on May 8 at 5 p.m.