PENSACOLA, Fla. – The West Florida pitching staff has been strong all year, but Wednesday marked a showing of dominance that fans have not seen yet this year. Becca Taylor and Sarah Maloney combined to throw two complete game shutouts in 6-0 and 5-0 wins over Spring Hill, extending UWF's winning streak to 12 games.
 
With their performances, Taylor and Maloney jumped to 10th and seventh in the Gulf South Conference in ERA, ninth and fourth in opponent batting average, and seventh and eighth in strikeouts.
 
The pitching and defense wasn't all that was working on Wednesday. Jacey Castro led all players with four hits and three RBI on the year, while Callan Taylor, Castro and Rachel Wright each had a double.
 
This is the fifth consecutive doubleheader that UWF has swept, and the first time UWF has thrown back-to-back shutouts since the West Alabama series last year, on April 9.
 
Game 1: UWF 6, Spring Hill 0
Becca Taylor went the distance in Game 1, striking out six, walking none and allowing just four hits across seven innings of work. In her typical fashion, Taylor pounded the zone and got 11 groundouts against just three flyouts from the Badgers. The effort was her third shutout, GSC-leading 12th win and 10th complete game of the year.
 
UWF struck first in the third inning, when Rachel Wright was hit by a pitch and scores on a Jacey Castro line drive into left center field to give West Florida the 1-0 lead. It was Castro's 22nd RBI of the season, which is the second-highest total on the team.
 
Callan Taylor's one-out walk in the fourth started a five-run rally that gave the Argonauts a 6-0 lead. Miranda Smith came in to pinch run for Taylor and she scored on a bunt single from Jibrasha Moore, when SHC first baseman Madeline Burchell couldn't handle a throw from third baseman Rene Kausin.
 
The misplay gave UWF two runners in scoring position for Wright, who capitalized on the opportunity by crushing a double to the opposite field. Caitlin Steel and Castro each recorded RBI singles later in the inning to put the score at 6-0.
 
With a healthy lead in place, Taylor cruised through the final three innings and retired eight of the final nine batters she saw.
 
Castro and Hill each recorded two hits in the game, while Castro and Wright each had two RBI.
 
UWF chased Spring Hill starter Danielle Clark out of the game after just 3.2 innings, as the Argonauts picked up nine hits and six runs over the top pitcher in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
 
Game 2: UWF 5, Spring Hill 0
Sarah Maloney took the circle in Game 2 and continued what Taylor started in Game 1. The junior from Tamarac, Florida, was sharp all day long, striking out eight batters across seven innings and improving to 6-2 with her second shutout of the year. It was Maloney's fourth game this season in which she has recorded more strikeouts than innings pitched.
 
West Florida scored in the bottom of the first on a single through the right side from Sassman that brought in Jacey Castro to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Castro would score again in a wild third inning, when SHC Baylie Doiron fielded a grounder from Sassman and sent a wild throw past the third baseman while trying to retire Castro at third on the force out. With the score at 2-0 and runners on second and third, Tiona Hill struck out but advanced to first on a wild pitch that also scored Meghan Toney.
 
After a Jacquelynne Poling walk to lead off the fourth inning, Castro was in on the action again with a singled that plated pinch-runner Miranda Smith to give UWF a 4-0 lead. Callan Taylor doubled into left center in the fifth and came across on a wild pitch just three batters later to extend the lead to the final 5-0.
 
Maloney's first bit of trouble came in the sixth when Shelby Woodruff and Madeline Burchell walked and singled, respectively, to start the inning. Maloney had no trouble exterminating the threat, forcing two popouts and getting a great stop and throw from Sassman to end the inning.
 
West Florida will host Christian Brothers at the UWF Softball Complex this weekend, with a doubleheader on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday.