Superb Pitching, Timely Hitting Lift Lions to Sweep of Brevard
Shelby Culler and Taylor Hussey combined to allow eight hits in 14 shutout innings as the Lions swept Brevard 3-0 and 2-0
BREVARD, N.C.- Shelby Culler and Taylor Hussey combined to allow eight hits in 14 shutout innings as the Lions swept Brevard 3-0 and 2-0 on Wednesday afternoon. Mars Hill improves to 8-15 overall and 4-6 in South Atlantic Conference play while Brevard drops to 8-16 and 2-10.
Game 1: Mars Hill 3, Brevard 0
Shelby Culler held Brevard to three hits while the Lions plated two runs with two outs in the inning as part of a 3-0 victory.
Mars Hill got on the board in the fifth inning as Taylor Caviness reached on an error and scored on a Brevard miscue to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
In the sixth, Jamie Booze reached on a walk and scored on a Shelby Culler double. Culler crossed the plate on an Ellen Tillman double.
Culler was one-for-three with a double, run scored and RBI. Aleshia Peek was one-for-three with a single. Robyn Stanek and Erin Vickery were each one-for-four with a single. Tillman was one-for-one with a double and RBI.
Culler earned her fourth win of the season with a three hit, complete game shutout with two walks and a strikeout. Jamie Hrobak allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
Game 2: Mars Hill 2, Brevard 0
Erin Vickery's solo home run in the fourth inning was all Taylor Hussey would need as the Lions shutout Brevard 2-0 to complete their first sweep of the 2015 season.
In the Brevard second, an error, double and hit batter loaded the bases for the Tornados with one out. Hanna Huckabee grounded into a fielder's choice as Patricia Thompson got the out at home plate. Hussey struck out Jillian Gleeson to end the threat.
Mars Hill had runners in scoring position with two outs in the third inning before a lineout ended the frame. Vickery's one out home run in the fourth inning, her third of the season, gave the Lions a 1-0 lead.
Gleeson led off the Brevard fifth inning with a single but was thrown out trying to advance to second base after a missed bunt. That play would loom large as the Tornados would have runners reach on an infield single and a walk before Hussey got out of the inning thanks to a pair of flyouts.
The Lions loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth inning thanks to a single, error and a walk. Jamie Booze gave Mars Hill an insurance run with a single through the left side of the infield that scored Robyn Stanek. The inning ended as Jamie Hrobak struck out Shelby Culler after a 12 pitch at-bat. Hussey recorded the final six outs in order to claim her second win of the season.
Vickery went one-for-three with a home run and RBI while Booze went one-for-three with a single and RBI. Stanek went one-for-three with a single. Taylor Caviness went one-for-two with a base hit.
Hussey went the distance, scattering five hits with a walk and a strikeout over the course of 71 pitches. Casey Whitaker took the loss, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with one walk in 5.2 innings. Hrobak struck out one batter in 1.1 innings of relief.
Mars Hill travels to Queens on Friday for a Noon doubleheader.
