by WAXAHACHIE, Texas – In the last few days of the regular season, the Drovers have four straight days of road doubleheaders and started it off with a bang by collecting two wins against the Southwestern Assemblies of God (7-31, 3-23).
On Saturday, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (36-7, 19-3) earned the 12-3 victory in the first game and followed it with a 3-1 win in the second game.
With the two victories, USAO Head Coach Jadyn Wallishas 99 career victories in just three seasons and will look to nab win No. 100 against Texas Wesleyan on Sunday morning.
Along with the victories, Summer Leitka (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) pitched game two and struck out 14 batters in six innings to tie USAO’s single-season strikeout record at 255, including an impressive nine in a row to start of her pitching performance. Her 14 strikeouts was a season high.
In game one, the Drovers scored in every inning except one with the most damage coming in the top of the first and the top of the third.
The first runs were off the bats of Dani Warren and Kayla Adams, who helped put a four spot on the board to take an early 4-0 lead.
Warren’s single scored Kaylin Taylor, while Adams hit a three-run bomb, her 22nd homer in her career and sixth this season. The home-run scored Adams, Courtney Capps and Shania Beck.
In the third inning, the Drovers score another four, this time with Capps hitting a single to score Warren and Tate Landmark, who also pitched for the Drovers in game one.
Ciara Kuestersteffen and McKenna Eubank batted in the final two runs in the inning with Kuestersteffen scoring Capps and Eubank scoring Beck on a sacrifice fly to take the 8-1 lead.
Landmark (7-2) threw three innings to earn the victory before handing the ball over to Jaci Booker, who finished out the final three innings.
The record breaking game for Leitka (24-3) was a great pitching performance as she struck out nine batters in a row before the SAGU batter bunted to break the streak. Leitka entered the game in the second inning.
Leitka was perfect in the innings in the circle as she gave up no hits, runs or walks all while facing just 18 batters, the minimum possible in six innings, and striking out 14 of them.
SAGU struck first to take an early 1-0 lead, but the Drovers answered right back in the top of the second to tie the ball game.
Kuestersteffen singled in Capps in the second and then Landmark hit a triple to center in the top of the third to score Warren for the game-winner.
In the top of the sixth, the Drovers nabbed an insurance run when Adams doubled to left to score Capps on the play.
The Drovers continue their Texas road trip Sunday morning against Texas Wesleyan at Burleson’s Centennial High School. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
