WINFIELD, Kan.— Southwestern used dominant pitching and timely extra-base hits to sweep Graceland in a doubleheader Thursday at Broadway Sports Complex, winning 5-0 in the opener and 7-1 in the nightcap.
The Moundbuilders (2-0) held Graceland to just one run across 14 innings, combining for 13 strikeouts in the twin bill.
Game 1: Southwestern 5, Graceland 0
Faith Campbell tossed a complete-game two-hitter to set the tone in the opener, striking out seven and walking two over seven shutout innings.
Southwestern broke through in the third inning when Taylor Mesna singled home Tiara Henry after Henry had walked, advanced on a wild pitch and stole third. The Moundbuilders added another run in the fifth on Fayth Howard's RBI double that scored Campbell.
The game broke open in the sixth. With two outs, Henry delivered a three-run triple to right field, scoring Howard, Lainey Hardman and Ellie Kucera to make it 5-0.
Henry finished with three RBIs, while Mesna added an RBI and scored once. Southwestern totaled seven hits in the win.
Game 2: Southwestern 7, Graceland 1
The Moundbuilders jumped ahead early in the second game and never looked back.
Southwestern plated two runs in the first inning. Henry scored on a wild pitch before Taya Gable followed with an RBI single to bring home Mesna. An inning later, Mesna reached on an error and drove in another run to push the lead to 3-0.
After Graceland trimmed the deficit to 3-1 in the third, Southwestern answered decisively in the fifth. Kucera singled home Mesna, and Eliana Ortiz delivered the big blow with a three-run double that scored Mackenzie Reinert, Skylar Voran and Kucera to stretch the advantage to 7-1.
E. Willesden went the distance, allowing one run on five hits while striking out six in seven innings.
Southwestern pounded out 11 hits in the second game, led by multi-hit efforts from Mesna, Henry, Kucera and Ortiz.
The two teams are scheduled to meet again Friday at Broadway Sports Complex, with first pitch set for the same time as Thursday's doubleheader.
