Lindenwood softball (24-23) got head coach Erin Brown career win #100 as the Lions took down the #8 seeded UT Martin Skyhawks (16-31) 5-0 Wednesday morning.
Avery Wapp tossed a complete game one-hitter to pick up her ninth win of the season while only walking one Skyhawk and punching out eight of them. Wapp took a no-hitter into the fourth but a single from Avary Makarewicz broke it up.
It was Wapp’s second complete game shutout, the first coming early in the year at SIUE, and was also her fifth complete game, including the second one against the Skyhawks.
Hanna Johanning went 3/3 on the day with an RBI to lead the Lion attack as Tori Hatton and Madison Noll each went 2/3 with Hatton scoring and plating a run while Noll scored two runs.
Lindenwood got the scoring started in the bottom of the first as Hatton, batting leadoff, belted her team-leading eighth home run of the season to give the Lions an early 1-0 lead.
The Lions would plate another run in the second as Noll led off with a single before a double from Dallis Darnell put runners at second and third with nobody out for Johanning who stepped up to the plate and whacked an RBI double down the left field line scoring Noll but Darnell was cut down on a nice throw from the Skyhawks trying to score from second.
The Lions would put the finishing touches on an opening OVC tournament victory in the bottom of the sixth as they loaded the bases with one out as Lauren Pelton stepped into the box, pinch hitting for Anna Sanders, and promptly crushed the first pitch she saw into right field for a two RBI single and then an errant throw from UT Martin’s right fielder, Dylan Scott, allowed Johanning to scamper home and extend the Lions lead to 5-0 as Wapp would come out in the top of the seventh and strike out the final two Skyhawks hitters to close out the 5-0 win.
The Lions now advance to play the #4 seeded Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles and advanced into double elimination play with first pitch against SIU coming at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7.
