JON JOHNSON
jjohnson@dothaneagle.com

The Wallace Lady Govs got two solid pitching performances and a couple of big innings offensively in each game of a home doubleheader Thursday in sweeping Enterprise State 8-2 and 10-3.

Katlyn Conner threw a two-hitter and the Lady Govs scored six in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and take the win in Game 1 and then Wallace jumped out to 6-1 lead after one inning in Game 2 and it held up behind the pitching of Ella Houston.

"I think our kids had really good focus," Wallace coach David Dews said of completing the sweep. "Ella came in there and pitched really well for us and finally got everything kind of settled down.

"Of course, we got a few things going there in the first inning (of Game 2) and were able to capitalize on it. It was a tight ballgame until late in the first one and this one we just kind of kept answering them."

Dews was pleased with the efforts of his two pitchers, both of whom went the distance in their games.

"They gave our defense a chance," Dews said. "For the most part, we were able to limit the damage of walks, and maybe an error or something like that … we were able to limit it. But just a good overall team effort. We dug out of some tough situations, too."

Enterprise State took the lead in the first inning of the second game when Shak Washington doubled over third to score Khloe Jones.

But the Lady Govs struck back with six in the bottom half of the inning and really never looked back.

In the Wallace first, Sadie Hanks drove in the first two runs with a solid single in the hole between second and third to make it 2-1.

A sacrifice fly RBI by Lana Carpenter made it 3-1 and two batters later Caroline Armstrong doubled with the bases loaded to deep left center to clean the bases and make it 6-1.
ESCC scored two in the fourth when former Ashford standout Katelynn Money singled between shortstop and third to bring in Carlee Jowers, who had singled, and Kelsey Ellenburg, who had doubled, making it 6-3.

But Wallace answered that in the bottom of the frame when Armstrong led off with a line drive homer that just cleared the left field fence to make it 7-3 and Elly Castle connected on a three-run homer for the 10-3 advantage.

Houston pretty much silenced the ESCC bats the rest of the way in finishing off the victory.

In the opener, the score was deadlocked at 2-2 before the Lady Govs plated six in the bottom of the sixth to put it away.

After singles by Houston and Hanks to open the inning, Erin Curry moved both over with a sacrifice bunt.

After Carpenter was hit with a pitch to load the bases, Ella Brooke Barefield came through with a two-RBI single just inside the first base bag to bring in courtesy runner Lizzy Everts and Hanks in making it 4-2.

The final big blow in the inning came when Rebekah Rowell doubled over the left fielder's head to bring in the final two runs.

The first run in the game came when Carpenter got into a pitch and sent it over the left field fence in the bottom of the second.

It stayed that way until ESCC pinch-hitter Skylar Frey singled between first and second in the fifth inning to bring in two runners who had reached on errors. It was the first hit of the game for the Boll Weevils in gaining a 2-1 advantage.

Wallace tied it up 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Libby Buchanan singled just in front of a diving centerfielder Ally Whitehead to bring in Carpenter, who had singled to lead off the inning.

Conner went the distance in the circle, allowing just two hits and striking out eight.

Former Abbeville Christian Academy standout Gabbie Causey pitched 5 1/3 innings for ESCC and gave up 11 hits, though pitched extremely well at times.

"I like where we are," Dews said of his squad. "We're still getting our rhythm a little bit. We had some tight games with Central (four losses last week) and just weren't able to make the key plays.

"I think that was the difference (today) … we were just able to make the key plays."

Wallace plays at Enterprise State in a doubleheader on Saturday.