February 27, 2016
 
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Becca Taylor and Kalyn Chapman dominated in the circle for the University of West Florida softball team in its Saturday sweep over No. 6 Valdosta State. Both pitchers went the distance for UWF, with Taylor picking up nine strikeouts over 11 innings and Chapman recording 10 in the seven-inning win in Game 2.
 
Second baseman Meghan Toney led all UWF hitters with four RBI on the day and tied Kathleen Smiley with four hits between the two games. Caitlin Steel and Chelsy Krantz each picked up three hits and Krantz also drew a walk.
 
Game 1: West Florida 3, Valdosta State 2 (11 innings)
With runners on first and third and one away in the bottom of the 11th inning, catcher Caitlin Steel drove in Emily Pettigrew for a walkoff win over VSU.
 
The front end of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel between Becca Taylor and Caitlyn Calhoun all afternoon. Both pitchers kept things scoreless through the first four innings, as VSU struck in the top of the fifth with a one-run single from Taylor Hartenbach through the right side of the infield.
 
Taylor and Calhoun kept things at one for the next four innings, until the international tiebreaker rules came into effect in the 10th. VSU's Jaime Phillips started the inning on second base with no outs and was moved to third after a sacrifice bunt by Kiley Rusen. Phillips came across and VSU took the lead just a batter later when Hartenbach flew out to left field.
 
UWF evened things up again in the bottom of the 10th, when Toney put down a sac bunt with Rachel Wright on second and no outs. The bunt was fielded cleanly by the VSU third baseman, but the throw was delivered up the first-base line and into Toney's running lane. As a collision occurred at first base, Wright made the turn at third base and came in to score.
 
Pettigrew began the 11th on second base, and she was advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Chapman. Krantz singled one batter later, and Steel followed that with a sharp single to the left side that allowed Pettigrew to score the game-winner.
 
Taylor's final line read 11 innings with nine strikeouts, no walks and just six hits, lowering her season ERA to 1.46.
 
Game 2: West Florida 5, Valdosta State 0
West Florida got off to a quick start in Game 2, tagging VSU starter Huntyre Elling for three runs in the bottom of the first. Things began with back-to-back singles from Rachel Wright and Meghan Toney, and Kathleen Smiley drove both in with a double off the left-field fence. Emily Pettigrew's single moved Smiley to third, and Chapman brought Smiley in with a single to left just one batter later to extend the lead to 3-0.
 
Chapman struck out the first two batters she faced in the first and picked up two more in the second. Chapman kept cruising all day, allowing just one hit and striking out 10 in her seven innings of work. It was the third time this season that Chapman has struck out 10 or more.
 
Chapman did not walk any VSU batters, marking the first time this year a UWF pitcher has posted double-digit strikeouts and not walked any batters. Chapman at one point struck out four consecutive Lady Blazers and retired 14 consecutive batters from the third through the seventh.
 
UWF threatened again in the bottom of the third, when a double from Smiley and a single from Jacey Castro put two on with one away and Pettigrew at the plate. Her ground ball back to the pitcher and Chapman's sharp shot at the shortstop were handled cleanly, and VSU avoided any damage. The Argos picked up two insurance runs in the sixth, when Meghan Toney singled in Krantz and Steel.
 
The series will wrap up with a single game on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Fans can follow along with live stats and a live video stream on GoArgos.com.
 
For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.