DeLand, Fla. ? Sophomore pitcher Amanda Lindsey (Byhalia, Miss.) tossed her third straight complete game shutout and drove in two runs to lead the Stetson softball team (21-8) to its eighth consecutive victory, a 5-0 blanking of visiting Bowling Green Friday afternoon at Patricia Wilson Field. Stetson's second game of the day, against Iowa, was postponed to Sunday at 5:30 due to inclement weather.
During this winning streak, the team has allowed just four total runs and has posted shutouts in five of the last six games. Lindsey herself has thrown four shutouts in her last five starts and has let in just one earned run in her last 53 and two-thirds innings.
Stetson got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the third. With one out and runners on the corners, junior first baseman Andrea Migliori (Winter Garden, Fla.) took four straight balls to load the bases. The next batter, Lindsey, stood patiently at the plate and also took a walk to force in senior catcher Blythe Golden (Marianna, Fla.)
Four runs in the bottom of the fourth broke the game open for the Hatters. Stetson again managed to load the bases thanks to a leadoff single from senior second baseman Nicole Forbes (Tampa, Fla.), a strikeout/wild pitch and a bunt single by senior center fielder Amy Peters (Niceville, Fla.). Wightman then earned Stetson's second bases-loaded walk of the game to make the score 2-0. Migliori followed with a two-run single up the middle and Lindsey got her second RBI when she beat out the return throw on an attempted double play.
Lindsey cruised along for seven innings, striking out five, walking none and never letting a Falcon batter reach third base. She improved her season record to 11-6 and lowered her earned-run average to 1.05. BGSU starter Emily Gouge took the loss with five runs allowed in three and a third innings. The Falcons also lost to Elon 4-3 earlier in the day as they are now 0-11 on the season. Iowa defeated Elon 6-0 in the other game at the Stetson Spring Classic.
Migliori and Wightman each doubled for the Hatters, who tied their longest winning streak since taking 12 straight from March 6-21, 2004.
The Hatters continue play at the Stetson Spring Classic tomorrow at 5 p.m. against Michigan State; they stay on the field to take on Elon at 7:15 p.m. In earlier action tomorrow it will be Bowling Green vs. Cornell at 8 a.m., Iowa-BGSU at 10:15 a.m., Cornell-Iowa at noon and Michigan State-Elon at 2:45 p.m.
Jamie Bataille and Hatter Vision will broadcast all the action from Patricia Wilson Field; audio, video and live stats are available through the online home of Stetson Athletics, www.gohatters.com.
