RALEIGH, N.C. – The Shaw University women's softball team combined for 17 hits and three home runs in the doubleheader sweep of Livingstone College Saturday afternoon to open up Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division play. The Lady Bears defeated the Lady Blue Bears, 14-1 and 15-1 to give Shaw its first division win on the season.

With the win, Shaw (6-21) improves to 4-4 within the league while LC (1-11) drops to 0-6 in conference play.

Game 1:

The Lady Bears took a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the second led by a double from Kiana Rogers (Fort Atkins, WI). Shaw tallied six runs both in the second and third inning before the Lady Blue Bears scored one run on an error from Shaw. The Lady Bears would add one more to the score in the bottom of the fourth after Rogers doubled to left field, bringing home Chynna Gross (Orange Park, FL) to secure the 14-1 win.

Brittany Kline (Choctaw Beach, FL) was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two doubles and two RBI's. Amanda Ortiz (Tucson, AZ) took the win in the circle, allowing one hit, one run and striking out three.

Game 2:

Shaw picked up where they left in the nightcap, producing three hits in both the first and second innings. The Lady Bears ballooned a lead of 11-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Ortiz singled, leading Kline to reach home, following a single from Desiree Fernandez (Kissimmee, FL) that led to Taija Bailey (Greensboro, NC) scoring. Zaharea Lewis (Savannah, GA) homered for the first time this season, bringing home teammate Fernandez to close out the inning.

Lewis would nail her second home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth to put a cap on the 15-1 victory for Shaw.

For the contest, both Ortiz and Alex Masnica (Chicago, IL) was 3-for-4 behind the plate. Ortiz finished with three hits, three runs and an RBI while Masnica recorded three hits, three runs and two RBI's.

Gross earned the win on the mound, allowing just three hits, one run and one error.

UP NEXT

Shaw will face Johnson C. Smith for Senior Day on Sunday, Apr. 2 at Worthdale Park in a CIAA doubleheader. First serve is slated for 1 p.m.

For the most up-to-date information on Shaw softball and its 13 varsity sport teams, please visit www.shawbears.com.