LEESBURG, Fla. (March 11, 2019) –  The Webber International University softball team visited the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex to compete in two neutral nonconference games, winning against Indiana Tech 9-1 in five innings by run-rule before defeating St. Ambrose University 3-1 in a close one to sweep the day thanks in large part to two more solid starting pitching performances.

Thanks to a couple early errors by Indiana Tech and timely hitting by Webber, the Warriors took an early 7-1 lead after just two innings.

Webber first got on the board in the top of the first with a groundout with the bases loaded and one out by Samantha Rolfe, scoring Mary-Margaret Maggard. Sabrina Hebding then capped it off with a single to left to bring in both CC Smith and Kaitlin Cockcroft to make it 3-0 after a half inning.

Then in the second inning, Webber took advantage of two costly errors by Indiana Tech as after a leadoff single by Ka'Deisha McCowen, the Warriors would put up four runs on the board, three of which were unearned.

The starting pitcher for Webber was Raven White (5-1), who after allowing an unearned run of her own in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly, would then coast throughout the rest of the game not allowing another run and not allowing a hit until the fourth inning. In all, White would finish with only one run, one hit and one walk allowed through the five innings.

Smith finished 2-for-3 against Indiana Tech while she and Maggard both scored twice as well, and Smith Beatriz Navarro and Alyssa Rodriguez each added a stolen base.

In game two, the Warriors took on St. Ambrose University and led 1-0 in a game that looked like it might be a shutout for Webber. After St. Ambrose stranded a one-out double on second base in the top of the first and Maggard homered to dead center field to lead off the bottom of the third inning for Webber, Emma Maitland (4-1) continued to mow down hitters, recording 10 straight outs until an error with two outs in the top of the fourth.

Then, after a 1-2-3 top of the fifth for Maitland, her third 1-2-3 frame of the game, St. Ambrose finally broke the drought and got on the board thanks to a leadoff single in the top of the sixth and an unearned run to make it 1-1.

Fortunately, Webber answered in the next half inning as Cockcroft led off with a walk and scored two batters later on a double to right center by Hebding, who later came around to score herself to make it 3-1.

Just like White, Maitland finished the complete game allowing zero earned runs and two hits, but she went seven innings allowing just one walk with six strikeouts. It was the third complete game of the year so far for Maitland.

"I was very proud to see this team stay humble after two big victories this past weekend," said Head Coach Kristy Burton. "They came out ready to play and they proved that with a 9-1 victory in the first game. Coach Kendall Core and I were thankful to see our girls continue to compete at a high level by being able to win game two against a very good program in St. Ambrose. When we play with passion, it shows and we look forward to raising the bar each time we step on the field."

Webber improved to 13-5 overall and will now ride an eight-game winning streak into its home doubleheader against rival Warner University at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 14.