DANVILLE, Ky. — The Berry Vikings continued their dominant start to Southern Athletic Association (SAA) play, remaining undefeated in week two with a pair of commanding 8-0 victories over Centre College. Demonstrating their offensive firepower and defensive strength, the Vikings have now secured four run-rule wins in their first five conference games, further solidifying their position as a top contender in the SAA.
Game One:
Unable to scorch any runs across the board in the top of the first inning, reigning Pitcher of the Week Hannah Gore earned the start for the visiting Vikings in the bottom of the first. Firing through the top of the order, Gore recorded two of her six strikeouts of the game in a crisp nine-pitch inning, maintaining the 0-0 tie with the Vikings' heart of the lineup ready to take their swings in the second.
The Vikings came up empty in the second, with every well-hit ball finding the glove of a Colonel defender.
Centre threatened to break the tie with a leadoff double in the bottom of the second, but the Vikings quickly took control. Catcher Bradynn Belcher snagged a bunt attempt for the first out while keeping the runner at second. Kennedy Moody followed with a sharp play on a sacrifice bunt for the second out, and Gore forced a jammed hitter into a pop-up to shortstop Paige Bennett, ending the threat without any damage.
Both teams remained stagnant in the third before the Vikings broke the scoring open in the top of the fourth inning. Juniors Lauren Cothern and Elly Bennett both singled to left field at the top of the inning. Erica Bennett strutted to the plate, and with two strikes, the freshman earned her first career home run in the biggest moment of her career thus far.
The Vikings showed no signs of slowing down after the bases were cleared. Belcher ripped a double to left center, and Katie Parker followed with an infield single. Ava Fouts then capitalized on defensive mistakes, bringing in two runs while reaching base. With the score at 5-0 and only one out, Berry kept the pressure on, tacking on three more runs with the help of Paige Bennett's two run home run over the scoreboard to extend the lead to it 8-0.
The score stayed unchanged for the remainder of the game, as the Vikings sealed an 8-0 win in a quick five-inning conference contest.
Game Two:
The Vikings picked up right where they left off in the start of the second game of the day. Still fresh, Fouts gave the Colonel defense little time to settle in as she doubled to center field in the third pitch of the game. Kennedy Moody delivered her signature single, bringing Fouts home to a cheering Vikings dugout and putting Berry up 1-0.
El. Bennett drew a walk, and with runners on first and second, Er. Bennett stayed hot from the first game and doubled to left center, collecting a pair of RBIs in the process.
The Vikings kept the momentum rolling, closing out the top of the first with a commanding 5-0 advantage.
Fouts earned the start in the circle for the Vikings, and her pitching prowess gave the Colonels little hope of finding success. Collecting five strikeouts in five innings of work, Fouts found her stride as soon as she stepped on the mound. Allowing only three hits on the day, Fouts did not allow a Colonel to touch first base until the second inning.
In the top of the second, the Vikings stayed hot at the plate. The Bennett sisters made their parents proud as P. Bennett busted her second home run of the day, this time over the left field fence, collecting two RBIs to send the Vikings into the bottom of the inning with a 7-0 lead.
The Centre Colonels looked to capitalize on some early offense in the bottom of the second inning, but Berry's defense stood firm behind Fouts. The Colonels led off with a double to right field, followed with a single to right, advancing runners to first and third. Despite the threat, the Vikings kept Centre off the scoreboard. Fouts forced three consecutive popups to end the inning and abandon the threat.
The Vikings found an additional run in the top of the third as Er. Bennett opened with a double, and Latifa Madesko's sacrifice fly put the Vikings into run-rule territory.
The Vikings' defense remained impenetrable throughout the remainder of the game, and although they did not score again, the Colonels could not recover from the early deficit. Berry sealed the series with two dominant 8-0 victories on Friday afternoon.
The Vikings will aim for a series sweep, heading back to Danville on Saturday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. for another matchup with the Colonels.
