Softball Bombard Union Commonwealth; Phillips Throws No-Hitter

BARBOURVILLE, Ky.- Bailee Phillips threw a no-hitter to help the softball sweep their doubleheader on Monday. The team won the Appalachain Athletic Conference (AAC) games against the Union Commonwealth University Lady Bulldogs 11-5 and 14-0.

Game One:

Two errors helped TWU get on the board in the first inning. Macy Chastain opened the game with a walk and scored from first on a error on Taylor Penning's single. Penning stood on second after the error and scored on an error off of Tatum Massengale's single, moving the lead to 2-0 after the first inning.

Facing two outs in the top of the second, the Lady Bulldogs went on a five-run rally. Carlynn Atamaniuk got on base with a single and moved to second on a steal. A passed ball move Atamaniuk closer to home at third. Chastain used her second walk of the game to get on base and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Penning loaded the bases with a walk. Phillips made it three consecutive walks, giving Atamaniuk the right to trot home. Mackenzie Baldwin relieved Chastain and Penning of their time on the bases with a single. Massengale brought in the final two runs of the inning, giving the team a 7-0 lead as Phillips and Baldwin scored. 

The lead turned to 8-0 in the top of the fourth inning as Chastain, who was on third after a single, stolen base and Penning single, scored on Phillips sacrifice fly. Union scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead in half. Tennessee Wesleyan grew their lead in the sixth inning.

Chastain and Penning both hit singles to get on base. Baldwin hit a double that brought both Chastain and Penning in to extend the lead to 10-4. A single by Avery Hope gave Baldwin the chance to score, giving the team their 11th run of the game. Union scored one more run but the pitching of relief pitcher Isabella Jenkins did not allow the opponents to pull closer in the 11-5 win.

Baldwin led the offense with four RBIs. Phillips, who was credited with the win, had seven strikeouts in three innings in the circle while Jenkins had three strikeouts in the remaining four.

Game Two:

In collecting the no-hitter, 11 of the 15 outs in the run-ruled game came from Phillips strikeouts. 

The 14 runs the Lady Bulldogs used to run rule the game were scored from the second through fifth innings. Courtney Sneed got TWU on the board in the second inning with a two-RBI double that brought in Avery Hope and Kaley Bradley. Chastain added two more runs in the inning with a single that scored Sneed and Atamaniuk.

In the third inning, Massengale's single brought in Baldwin from first base while Massengale went on to score from first on a Bradley single. Phillips hit a double in the fourth to bring in Chastain, making the score 7-0. 

The remaining seven runs came in the fifth inning, starting with a Massengale run scored on an error off Hope's hit. Hope, who stood on third after the error, scored on a passed ball. With Korie Thompson and Ali Richards standing on base, Brooke Freeman hit a double that allowed both base runners to score. Katie Willett moved the lead to 12-0 with a RBI single scoring Freeman. Haven Carter fielder's choice brought in Chastain while an RBI single by Hope brought in the final run in the form of Gracie Calton. 

Chastain, Sneed, and Freeman all had two RBIs while Phillips, Willett, Massengale, Carter, Hope, and Bradley each had one RBI. This is the second no-hitter for Phillips as a Lady Bulldog.

Tennessee Wesleyan (18-9, 14-8 AAC) stay on the road for their next conference doubleheader on Wednesday. The team faces Milligan University beginning at 2:00 p.m.