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AUM softball falls one spot to seventh in NAIA Top 25 poll

AUM softball falls one spot to seventh in NAIA Top 25 poll

After a 3-3 week in Southern States Athletic Conference play, the Auburn Montgomery softball team dropped one spot to No. 7 in the fourth NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 poll of the season. The rankings were released prior to AUM’s doubleheader sweep of Faulkner last night.

The Warhawks (30-5, 8-4 SSAC) rebounded from an 0-2 start last week to take three out of four games over ranked opponents Belhaven and William Carey. The Blazers are 10th in this week’s poll, while the Crusaders are 12th.

Katie Spain leads AUM with a .443 batting average, 12 home runs, 43 RBIs and 11 doubles. Kayla Hale (33) and Jyssica Pepper (31) have also driven in over 30 runs. Cassie Daniels leads the pitching staff with a 13-1 record and a 1.85 ERA. She has struck out 130 batters in 94 2/3 innings.

Concordia (Calif.) held on to the top spot for the fourth consecutive week, earning 18 of 20 first place votes.

Huntingdon's McClure and Scott earn weekly GSAC honors

Huntingdon's McClure and Scott earn weekly GSAC honors

Huntingdon seniors Melissa McClure and Katie Scott were among three players recognized by the Great South Athletic Conference with the release of the GSAC Players of the Week on Wednesday.
 
McClure was named GSAC Softball Pitcher of the Week and Scott was named GSAC Tennis Player of the Week. Pine Manor’s Kaylyn Delgado was named Softball Player of the Week.
 
McClure earned four wins last week (Covenant, Wesleyan twice and Agnes Scott), including a perfect game and a no-hitter. She finished with 30 strikeouts, three walks, three runs allowed and 15 hits allowed in 24 innings. McClure also batted .400 with four RBIs, two triples and three runs in three games.

Scott was 3-0 at No. 1 singles last week and teamed with Micaela White for two wins at No. 2 doubles and one win at No. 1 doubles. In singles, Scott won 6-1, 6-0 against Tuskegee, 6-2, 6-0 against Covenant and 6-2, 6-2 against Spring Hill. In No.

No. 7 Warhawks score 24 runs in doubleheader sweep of Faulkner

No. 7 Warhawks score 24 runs in doubleheader sweep of Faulkner

Last week, the Auburn Montgomery softball team was swept by Faulkner, with its offense scoring just seven runs off of 15 hits in the two games combined.

In this week’s rematch, the Warhawks surpassed both of those totals in Game 1.

AUM defeated the Lady Eagles 15-0 in five innings in the opener, before holding on for a 9-5 win in the nightcap.

The Warhawks (30-5, 8-4 SSAC) have now won four straight, while Faulkner (19-13-1, 5-10-1 SSAC) dropped its sixth in a row.

“I’m extremely proud of everybody,” head coach Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson said. “Everybody stepped up and did their part to get things going today. We just have to keep pushing because it’s all conference games from here on out, and they’re always tough no matter who you play.”

AUM did all of its damage offensively in the first four innings of Game 1, highlighted by a seven-run second.

Bearden's three-run blast lifts Warhawks past Thomas, 7-6

Bearden's three-run blast lifts Warhawks past Thomas, 7-6

Blake Bearden drove in a career-best four runs, including a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning, as the Auburn Montgomery baseball team rallied for a 7-6 victory over Thomas University Tuesday.

With the win, the Warhawks improved to 25-15 on the year, while the Night Hawks fell to 19-20 overall.

Bearden recorded three of AUM’s 10 hits, while Shane Turner also had three hits. Hayden Hillyer finished 2 for 4 with a run batted in. Chad Mansmann scored twice and drove in a run.

Nathan Taylor started the game for the Warhawks, allowing three earned run and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Chad Reeves (5-2) earned the victory by tossing 2 2/3 innings of relief, while Britt Wilson struck out the side in order of the ninth to earn his sixth save of the year. Will Ruffin also threw a scoreless inning.

After falling behind by a run after the home half of the first inning, AUM picked up a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame.

No. 3 AUM rolls past No.1 Brenau, 6-3

No. 3 AUM rolls past No.1 Brenau, 6-3

An 8-6 doubles victory by Jade Curtis and Tiffany William at the top doubles position gave the No. 3 Auburn Montgomery women’s tennis team the momentum in the match and the lead for good, as the underdog Warhawks defeated the NAIA’s top team Brenau 6-3 Tuesday at the AUM Tennis Complex.

The Warhawks improved to 10-7 on the season and 4-0 in Southern States Athletic Conference play. The Golden Tigers fell to 9-3 on the season and 1-1 in league play.

Despite taking two of the first three games in their doubles match, the duo of Chanel Cunningham and Maria Fernanda Vargas fell 8-2 at the No.

Huntingdon women's tennis beats Agnes Scott for second time this season

Huntingdon women's tennis beats Agnes Scott for second time this season

The Huntingdon women’s tennis team rallied from an early deficit to beat Agnes Scott 6-3 on Tuesday.
 
Huntingdon, ranked 16th in the ITA Atlantic South Region, trailed 19th-ranked Agnes Scott 2-1 after doubles but won five singles matches to clinch the win. The win was the Lady Hawks’ second of the season against Agnes Scott. Huntingdon (13-1, 6-0 Great South Athletic Conference) also beat the Scotties (7-5, 5-2 GSAC) 6-3 in early March.
 
Huntingdon sophomore Taylor Clark and freshman Britni Thibodeau picked up two key three-set singles wins. Thibodeau won 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 at No. 3 singles and Clark beat three-time GSAC Player of the Year Rachel Storz at No. 1 singles. Tied 4-4 in the third set, Storz retired from the match.
 
Storz, who has a 47-12 career singles record, has only lost two conference matches in her career. Both losses are to Clark. Clark also beat Storz in the GSAC tournament championship last season.
 
Katie Scott (No.

AUM's Tiffany Williams named SSAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week

AUM's Tiffany Williams named SSAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week

Auburn Montgomery sophomore Tiffany William was this week’s recipient of the Southern States Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Week award, the league announced this afternoon.

William received the award for the first time in her career at AUM after a 3-1 week across singles and doubles, highlighted by her third victory of the season against a nationally-ranked singles opponent.

The London, England, native defeated Xavier’s Kourtney Howell 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday in her first match from the No. 1 singles position. Howell entered the match as the eighth-ranked player in the NAIA, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Facing Division-I opponent New Orleans on Sunday, William won both of her matches. She cruised to a straight-sets victory at No. 1 singles, and teamed with Chanel Cunningham to win 8-4 at No. 1 doubles.

William improved to 14-2 in singles and 13-3 in doubles this season.