March 10, 2006
27th-ranked Monarchs record sweep on day four of Sun West Tournament
Methodist improves to 14-2 overall with victories over Central, Harris-Stowe

ORANGE, Calif. – The for the second straight day, the 27th-ranked Methodist Monarch softball team recorded a sweep at the prestigious Sun West Tournament. On Friday, the Monarchs pulled off a 3-2 thriller over Central in eight innings, followed by a 5-2 victory over Harris-Stowe in the nightcap. The sweep gives Methodist four straight victories, and the Monarchs improve to 14-2 overall.

One swing of the bat was what the Monarchs needed in the first game against Central. LaTiana Headen’s mammoth two-run walk-off home run in the eighth inning gave the Monarchs a thrilling victory. The game was tied entering the eighth inning. Central scored a run in the top of the eighth to take a 2-1 lead. Trailing by a run, Methodist had a runner on second with the international tie-breaker rule when Headen hit her monster home run to left-centerfield to win it for Methodist.

Methodist’s other run was in the fifth on a solo home run by Candace Hudgins.

Jennifer Sorensen improved to 7-1 overall with the complete game victory, allowing eight hits with five strikeouts.

Methodist took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Harris-Stowe as Headen drilled an RBI double and later scored on Hudgins’ sacrifice fly. Methodist then added single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Lisa Jackson smashed a solo home in the fourth, as did Sara Poling in the sixth. In the seventh, Rebekah Kelly scored on another sacrifice fly by Hudgins.

Headen went 3-for-4 for Methodist, while Kristen Kennedy went 2-for-3. Mara Brown was the winning pitcher in relief, recording two strikeouts in three-and-two-thirds innings.

Methodist closes out the Sun West Tournament on Saturday with games against Kenyon at 8:45 a.m. (PST) and Central at 11:45 a.m. (PST).