PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida softball team took two wins from South Region foe Barry on Tuesday afternoon at the UWF Softball Complex. With the victories, UWF improved to 12-8 on the year, and the team was a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base tries on the day.
 
Becca Taylor, Sarah Maloney and Taylor Rolison each saw time in the circle on Tuesday, combining for 12 strikeouts and a 0.50 ERA over 14 innings of work. Four Argonauts had multiple hits in the doubleheader, including freshman Callan Taylor, who led the team with three hits, a home run, and five RBI on the afternoon.
 
Rhiannon Sassman reached base in each end of the doubleheader and has still reached base in every game this year.
 
Game 1: UWF 6, Barry 0
Callan Taylor's first-inning grand slam proved to be all the run support Becca Taylor and Rolison needed in the circle, and it was part of a five-run first inning for UWF. Caitlin Steel snapped out of a cold streak just three batters later, lining a sharp single down the left field line to bring in Tiona Hill and giving West Florida the 5-0 lead.
 
Steel and Callan Taylor totaled four of UWF's five hits and five of the team's six RBI in Game 1, and Hill added the final run of the game in the fifth inning.
 
Becca Taylor improved to 6-5 on the year with five scoreless innings in the circle, striking out three along the way. Rolison finished the job and allowed just one hit in her two innings.
 
The Argonauts showed off on the basepaths as well, stealing four bases. Meghan Toney swiped two bags, giving her a team-high 10 on the year. Steel and Jibrasha Moore also recorded steals in the game, and Moore had another in Game 2.
 
Game 2: UWF 5, Barry 4
Both teams tallied eight hits in Game 2, and it was Sassman's walkoff sacrifice fly to center field in the seventh inning that sealed the deal for UWF.
 
Maloney and Barry's Anieliese Palmeiro traded scoreless innings through the first two in the game, until Barry got out to a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI single from Lynsey Duncan.
 
UWF took the lead back in the fourth inning, however, when Kathleen Smiley and Tiona Hill added back-to-back sacrifice flies to score Sara Spears and Rhiannon Sassman.
 
When the Bucs evened things up in the fifth inning, it was Duncan again with a single up the middle.
 
UWF jumped out with a 3-2 lead in the sixth, when Tiona Hill hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Cheyanne Head with runners on second and third. Head threw home to catcher Maddy VonHagel, who caught Sassman in a rundown. Two throws later, Sassman evaded a tag from VonHagel to slide home safely and give West Florida the go-ahead run.
 
Barry scored twice in the seventh, evening the score with a sacrifice fly to foul territory in left field and taking a lead with a pinch-hit single from Avery Cotterill into left field.
 
The Argonauts would not be silenced, however, as Moore led off the seventh with a bunt single and stole second base. Jacey Castro then doubled down the right field line, and pinch hitter Callan Taylor drove in her fifth run of the doubleheader with a single to left center that scored Moore for the tying run. Just a batter later, Sassman lifted a fly ball into deep center field that scored Castro and gave UWF the victory.
 
West Florida will host Nova Southeastern for a Wednesday afternoon doubleheader at the UWF Sports Complex at 3 pm.