By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
After being shut out nine times in their first 14 games, the Jefferson Davis Community College Lady Warhawks softball team knows the hard way that a team that does not score can not win.
JDCC got to enjoy being on the other side of that formula Sunday, as it swept a twinbill against visiting Danville (Ill.) Area College with a 3-0 triumph in the opener and a 2-0 victory in the nightcap.
"We know too well that you can't win if you don't score. You also can't lose if you don't give up any runs," Lady Warhawks coach Misti Nims said.
Freshman pitchers Nikki Madden and Lakyn Newton provided those shutouts with back-to-back stellar performances.
Madden faced just two batters above the minimum in a one-hit effort in the opener. Madden struck out four, walked one and allowed just a one-out single in the top of the first inning. Meanwhile Newton scattered four hits and walked none in her whitewashing of the Lady Jaguars.
"Both Nikki and Lakyn threw extremely well. Nikki had most of her success by keeping the ball inside, while Lakyn had most of her success on the outside corner of the plate," Nims said. "Another big key for us was our defense. Nikki and Lakyn didn't have many strikeouts (five.) We didn't make any errors in the field and that is an area where we've had some problems."
While the most important part was the final outcome, the Lady Warhawks continued to struggle at the plate despite the sweep. JDCC had just seven hits combined for the day.
In the opener, the Lady Warhawks took advantage of a key error that enabled them to score the only runs they would need in a two-run second inning.
Katie Simmons walked and Newton singled. After Kelly Stewart laid down a sacrifice, both runners when a ball hit by Kristen Phillips was misplayed by the Danville second baseman.
JDCC (4-12) added an insurance run in the sixth inning. Carleen Clark, who earlier made a shoestring catch in leftfield that preserved Madden's shutout, singled. A sacrifice by Sonie Demko moved Clark into scoring position and she scored on a single by Stacy Sanders.
After the Lady Warhawks managed just three hits in the opener, they had only four in the second game. However, three of those came in the fifth inning when JDCC scored the only runs of the game.
A walk to Jenna Jenright and a single by Ashley Ross set up RBI singles by Makeyia Burt and Nichole Young.
"We still didn't hit the ball very well and Danville was a team that was just opening its season. We've played a tough schedule so far and I hope we're at the point where playing that good competition will start to pay off for us. This is about the same point last year where we started to get on a roll after a slow start," Nims said.
The Lady Warhawks will host a three-team doubleheader today. JDCC will battle Hibbings at 11 a.m. and Jefferson State at 3 p.m. Hibbings and Jefferson State will square off in the middle game at 1 p.m.
Game one
Danville 000 000 0 – 0 1 1
JDCC 020 001 X – 3 3 1
Game two
Danville 000 000 0 – 0 4 3
JDCC 000 020 X – 2 4 0