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MOBILE, Ala. – The HBU softball team got out to an early lead thanks to a six-run second inning and never looked back as the Huskies defeated Alabama State by a score of 10-3 on Friday morning in the opening game of the Sand Dollar Classic at Jaguar Stadium on the campus of South Alabama.
The Huskies opened scoring in the top of the first after sophomore
Demi Janak drew a two-out walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a
Nicole Shedd double to left center.
In the top of the second, with one out and two runners on, a fielding error by the Hornets' second baseman allowed
Megan Hiers to score and gave HBU runners on first and third.
Kay Schroeder dropped a bunt for a single, driving in Hiers from third.
Libby Brown walked to load the bases and then
Heidi Jaquez drew a walk of her own to drive in the third HBU run of the inning. Janak followed with a bases-clearing double to left to score three and put HBU ahead 7-0 through one and a half innings.
Alabama State got on the board in the second with Brittney Wilson leading off with a double to right center. Wilson advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a wild pitch with two outs.
Leading 7-1 in the top of the third, HBU kept the pressure on. Hiers led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Brooke Bushman singled up the middle before Schroeder drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Brown was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Hiers. Jaquez followed with a single to right, plating Bushman, and then Janak hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring Schroeder home and put HBU ahead 10-1 in the third.
Senior Emiliy Mueller held the Hornets at bay for the next two innings, protecting the Huskies' nine-run lead before Perry Hindi connected for a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to bring the game to its final score of 10-3.
Mueller earned the win in the circle for the Huskies, throwing the complete game and allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking one. The senior hurler opens the season with a 1-0 record.
At the plate, Janak was a perfect 1-for-1 with a walk and a sacrifice fly, driving in four and scoring one. Shedd was the only Husky with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Schroeder scored a pair of runs and drove in one while Bushman also crossed the plate twice. Jaquez finished with two RBI and one run scored in her collegiate debut and also threw out the only attempted steal against her from behind the plate.
HBU continues play at the 2017 Sand Dollar Classic on Saturday with a double-header, facing Alabama State once more at 10:00 a.m. followed by host South Alabama at 12:30 p.m.
