After suffering two defeats to the Western Mustangs on Friday night in the battle for first place, the women’s softball team reeled off four straight victories to improve to 12-4 and stay in the race for second place in the OIWFA with the Windsor Lancers.
On Friday night, the Golden Hawks travelled to London in a first place showdown with the undefeated Western Mustangs. The ‘Stangs scored early but Laurier replied right back when fourth year captain Alicia Helmond doubled to right centre and later scored on an RBI single by Alanna Hentges.. The Hawks would keep it close and had a number of scoring opportunities, leaving six on base including a bases loaded fourth inning but failed to cash any runs to take the lead before the Mustangs bats awoke, scoring seven runs in the final three innings for an 8-1 win in game one. The Mustangs continued their offensive ways in game two by scoring seven runs in the top of the first before Emily Vella came in relief to shut the offense down but it was too much for the Hawks who suffered the 10-1 defeat.
The Golden Hawks rebounded well for the remainder of week three and fired off four straight victories, three of which were run-rule games by mercy. Saturday afternoon the Hawks travelled to face the winless York Lions in a pair of games. Laurier opened an early lead with five runs in the first inning. Hentges doubled down the third base line to score two before Kristen Van Den Neucker blasted a triple to right field which scored two more. Four more runs would eventually cross for Laurier as Amy Campagnolo threw a one hit gem for the 9-0 victory.
It was much of the same in game two for Laurier with Vella on the mound who captured her first win of the season. Scoring only one in the first, the Lady Hawks exploded for seven runs in the second inning and six more in the fourth inning in a 14-2 thumping of the Lions. Fifth year co-captain Lauren Campbell went 4-5 at the plate and was only a triple short of the cycle after her three run homer in the fourth. Rachel Warmington went 3-3 with a home run as well. Five Golden Hawks players managed to cross the plate twice from a 12 hit offensive outburst.
On Sunday morning the Golden Hawks were in Kingston to take on the young and talented Queen’s Gaels squad. With the Gaels taking an early 1-0 lead, Warmington pounded a triple past the right fielder in response and later scored on a pass ball to knot the game at one apiece. The top of the order would take the lead for the Golden Hawks in the third inning when Lauren Campbell singled to centre field and was scored, along with Hentges by a triple off the bat of Van Den Neucker. Leading 4-1 going into the sixth inning, this time it was the bottom of the order for the Golden Hawks who sparked the offense as Amy Campagnolo tripled to left centre to score two more runs, followed by a picture perfect suicide squeeze by Nicole Gagnier who also eventually scored by a pinch hit fielder’s choice from Monica Seth as the Hawks mercied the Gael’s in game one 8-1.
It took a few innings for the Hawks to come alive in game two against Queens as the first year starter for the Gaels kept the Laurier bats off-kilter for the first three innings. The Gael’s clung onto a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth when Van Den Neucker lef off with a single followed by a walk from Helmond when Gagnier came up big once again for the Golden Hawks with a two RBI single to centerfield. Lauren Campbell was key at the top of the Golden Hawks batting order again going 3-4, scoring twice. The Hawks would add three more in the 6th inning from clutch hitting by Lyndsey Allingham, Seth and Gagnier for the 8-2 victory. Warmington picked up her third victory of the season on the rubber, striking out six.
This week the Golden Hawks will travel to McMaster and Brock for another pair of double headers in week 5. Follow Laurier Softball on Twitter @LaurierSoftball
