Saline Softball Claims SEC Red Title

The Saline softball team made it three straight SEC Red titles after a hard-fought doubleheader sweep of Monroe Monday.

The Hornets got by the Trojans 5-0 and 3-2 to improve to 16-0 in the conference with three games remaining, while Lincoln and Bedford are both four games back in the standings.

The first game on Monday was a pitchers dual until the late innings.

The game was scoreless until the sixth when Reese Rupert and Sudney Hastings led off with singles. After a sacrifice bunt, Zosia Masur drove in Rupert with a groundout and Gracie Waldrop followed with a rbi-single for a 2-0 lead.

Abby Curtis was stellar in the circle, striking out 15 and allowing four hits.

Saline got some insurance in the seventh with a two-run homer from Casey Griffin and a rbi-double by Hastings to make the final 5-0.

Hastings finished with two hits and a rbi, while Rupert had two hits and two run scored. Maddie Bellus also had a hit for the Hornets.

Saline rallied from two runs down to take the second game 3-2.

Monroe led 2-0 in the fifth when Jessi Phelps doubled for the Hornets.

Griffin followed with a rbi-single and moved to second on an error. Rupert followed with a rbi-single to tie the game at two.

Saline took the lead in the sixth with a pair of singles and an error on the Trojans catcher to make it 3-2.

Phelps set the Trojans down in order in the seventh to end the game.

Mazur earned the win with nine strikeouts and one hit in five innings of work. Phelps earned the save with three strikeouts in two innings.

Rupert collected two hits and a rbi to lead the offense.

Ashley Malinczak, Ava Stripp, Lucy Winters, Griffin, Phelps, and Bellus had one hit eachfor Saline.

The Hornets improved to 25-3-2 overall on the season.