WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — Delta State University’s softball team swept LeMoyne-Owen in a doubleheader Monday. The Lady Statesmen won the opener 9-1 and completed the sweep with an 11-0 shutout in the nightcap.
In game one, Delta State scored early and used strong pitching to secure the win in five innings. Riley Leonard delivered a two-run single in the first inning, driving in Kyleigh Wheaton and Hallie Turner. The Lady Statesmen added another run in the second when Joryie McKnight singled home Maya Mills.
The game broke open in the third inning, with Delta State sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs. Carly Dunigan hit a triple, driving in two runs, while Mills added an RBI groundout. Callie McConnell then hit a two-run triple, and Turner capped the inning with an RBI single, giving the team a 9-0 lead.
Kendal Moore pitched a complete game, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. LeMoyne-Owen scored its only run in the fourth inning, but Moore worked out of trouble to secure the victory. Leonard finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Dunigan, McConnell, Mills, and McKnight each drove in runs.
The second game remained scoreless through four innings before Delta State exploded for 11 runs in the fifth. The Lady Statesmen capitalized on defensive errors and power hitting, including three inside-the-park home runs. Teague drove in three runs with her inside-the-park homer, and Dunigan followed with another inside-the-park shot, scoring two. McConnell added an RBI single, and Wheaton finished the scoring with a grand slam, making the final 11-0.
Maeve Lavoy pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out eight to earn the win. Delta State finished with 14 hits, led by Dunigan’s 3-for-4 effort with two RBIs and Wheaton’s four RBIs. The sweep improved the Lady Statesmen’s record to 2-7 for the season.
Delta State has a 10-day break before traveling to face Union University in Gulf South Conference play on Friday, February 20, at 4 p.m., according to team officials.
