Jackson, TN
Lady Dragons Sweep Four-Game Series Over the Lady Magicians
            The Lady Dragons softball team pushed their winning streak to six games after a four-game sweep over conference foe Lady Magicians from LeMoyne-Owen College. Lindsay Russell pitched all four games of the series for the Lady Dragons, collecting 29 strike outs against the Lady Magicians.
In the first game, the Lady Dragons scored eleven runs in the second inning including a grand-slam home-run by Janzze Gonzales to take a commanding lead in the game. Lindsay Russell pitched all five innings allowing only 2 runs as the Lady Dragons took the first game victory 17-2. Gonzales went 3-for-3 with 5 runs batted in, to lead the 13-hit attack for the Lady Dragons. Aleeshia Pointer and Quatisha Crowley added two hits each, while Martina Pounds, Kayla Haliburton, Lindsay Russell, Diamond Moore, Sequoia Dean, and Donesha Tramble all added base hits during the contest.
Lindsay Russell returned to the pitching circle for game two of the double header collecting her second victory of the day. She pitched 5 innings allowing 5 runs on 8 hits as the Lady Dragons pounded 13-hits for the 19-5 victory. Russell also led the hitting attack with a 3- for-3 day at the plate. Sequoia Dean launched her first home-run of the season, deep into the woods in right-center. Dean, Gonzales, Moore, and Pounds all had 2 hits each in the contest.
            In an effort to complete the series and beat Mother Nature, the starting times of the games on Sunday were moved up. The Lady Dragons got off to a slow start in game three as the Lady Magicians took the lead in the top of the first 1-0. The Lady Dragons responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. The Lady Magicians came back with two more runs for a 3-2 lead before the Lady Dragons responded with a 6-run inning and an 8-3 advantage after three innings of play. The Lady Magicians would add two more runs closing the gap to 8-5. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the bases loaded, Diamond Moore sent her second home-run of the game into the woods for a grand-slam and a 14-5 victory for the Lady Dragons. Moore had two home-runs in the game collecting 6 RBIs. Janzze Gonzales, Sequoia Dean, and Quatshia Crowley added two hits each, while Ashley Brooks, Martina Pounds, Lindsay Russell and Donesha Tramble collected one hit each.
            The old saying; “saving the best for last” might be true, as it took the Lady Dragons 8 innings to complete the four-game sweep over the Lady Magicians. The Lady Dragons put up four runs in the third inning to open the scoring before the Lady Magicians came back to tie the game. The Lady Magicians added three more runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game and send the contest to extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Dean reached base on an infield error. Diamond Moore then slammed a double to right center, moving Dean to third base with only one out. Lindsay Russell then delivered a walk-off single to centerfield and the winning run for a 9-8 victory.  Diamond Moore continued to hit the ball well with a 5-for-5 effort to lead the Lady Dragons in game four. Russell and Pounds each added two hits in the game. The Lady Dragons carry their six-game winning streak to Jasper, AL for the SIAC Cross-Over Tournament facing the six teams from the Eastern Division in the three-day tournament.