Allie Ladnier threw the third no-hitter in Southwest Mississippi softball history Thursday, leading the Lady Bears to a 5-0 win over Mississippi Delta in the first game of a doubleheader. Ladnier struck out 12 batters and allowed no hits or runs.
Southwest scored all five runs in the third and fourth innings. The team’s first two runs came on a single by Corin Talbot. Ladnier added a sacrifice fly, and runs scored on singles by Madalyn Ashford and Talbot. Talbot led the team with three hits, while Bailey McLin, Jana Phillips, and Ashford each had two. Phillips also stole a base. Talbot drove in two RBIs, and Ladnier and Ashford each had one.
In the second game, pitcher Ballard Kraft earned the win, allowing one run over three innings with two strikeouts. Mary Claire Salley pitched an inning of no-hit, no-run relief, and Skyler Turnage closed the game without allowing hits or runs. The Lady Bears scored 11 runs in the first inning on 10 hits, including home runs by Lauryn Roebuck and Alexis Dejean.
Roebuck led the team with five RBIs, followed by Dejean with three. Ladnier contributed three hits, including two doubles, and added two RBIs. Other multiple-hit players included Talbot, McLin, Clements, and Ashford. Coach Shea Johnson praised the team’s effort, noting the importance of getting everyone involved and emphasizing the clean defense in the second game.
Southwest (21-5, 8-2 in conference) is scheduled to host Itawamba on Saturday, March 28.
