The Lindenwood softball team (19-3, 6-0 GLVC) kept it rolling on Saturday afternoon, shutting out William Jewell (5-15, 1-5 GLVC) in both games of the conference twin bill from Lou Brock Sports Complex.
 
The Lions blanked the visiting Cardinals, 6-0, in the opener, before walking off in the bottom of the sixth in game two with an 8-0 victory. Whitney Wendel led the Lions offense, going 6-for-8 at the dish with one home run, two doubles, seven RBI, and three runs scored on the day. Meanwhile, Amanda Weyh and Marina Esparza combined to toss 13 scoreless frames, while striking out 13 and surrendering just five hits.
 
GAME ONE OVERVIEW
Wendel kicked off the Lindenwood offense in the bottom of the first, doubling home Taylor Bushman and Nicole Henson after Whitney Kinser bunted the duo into scoring position.
 
The Lions batted around in the sixth, scoring four more on four hits and one free pass. Three straight runs were plated with one out, with Irelynn West scoring Theresa Snaidauf on one of Jewell's three errors in the contest. Bushman then scored on a sacrifice fly from Kinser, before Wendel lined a single into center to plate West. Morgan Gersch capped the game's scoring with knock that scored Wendel two batters later.
 
Weyh was masterful inside the circle for Lindenwood, striking out nine in her ninth complete game of the spring. The junior allowed three hits – all singles – to improve to 11-0.
 
GAME ONE LEADERS
Wendel (3-for-4, 3 RBI, 2B, R)
Bushman (3-for-3, 2 R, SB, BB)
Pelton (2-for-3)
Weyh (7.0 IP, 9 K)
 
GAME TWO OVERVIEW
Wendel and Weyh used back-to-back singles to score Bushman and Henson in the bottom of the first to give Lindenwood a lead it would never surrender. After Wendel sent one over the left-field fence with one out in the third, Pelton singled home West to up the lead to 4-0.
 
The sixth frame was friendly to the Lions on Saturday, as the Black and Gold scored four runs once again in the inning, which marked the team's fifth crooked number of the day. In what was a carbon copy of the first game's opening inning, Wendel doubled home Bushman and Henson, who were in scoring position following a Kinser sacrifice bunt. West then singled to score Wendel, before coming around to the dish herself on a poke to right field from Gersch.
 
Esparza followed Weyh's performance with a brilliant outing of her own, allowing two hits across six frames. The fifth-year hurler punched out four in the win.
 
GAME TWO LEADERS
Wendel (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R)
West (3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB)
Bushman (3-for-4, 2 R, SB)
Esparza (6.0 IP, 4 K)
 
NOTABLE
- With the victories, Lindenwood upped its NCAA-era record win streak to 13.
- Weyh has shrunk her season ERA to a staggering 0.59 and WHIP to 0.71 in 82.2 innings. Esparza now leads the staff with a .158 batting average against and 8.04 K/7.
- Wendel has collected at least one hit in the first six GLVC bouts and is now slashing .458/.458/.708 in league action. Her current six-game hitting streak also tops the team.
 
QUOTABLE
On her day at the plate…
Wendel: "I made a lot of adjustments this week. I'd been struggling at the plate so we figured out what needs to happen at the plate, in my head, and it really worked this series."
 
On the offense clicking…
Wendel: "We had a bunch of one-run games and that's too much pressure on our pitcher and too much pressure on us to be perfect on the field. We really wanted to use the ground, especially with this wind, and be able to get runners on."
 
On Weyh and Esparza's pitching…
Wendel: Those two are incredible; I couldn't ask for a better 1-2 combo. We have [Amanda's] speed and [Marina's] spin and that's a really tough combination.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions welcome Truman to St. Charles on Sunday afternoon for a GLVC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. It will be the first time head coach Erin Brown faces her former program, where she collected 348 wins and five NCAA regional appearances.