PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Gulf South Conference season could not have gotten off to a better start for the UWF Softball team, which swept Christian Brothers in a doubleheader on Saturday by scores of 24-2 and 8-1. The wins give West Florida a 12-1 for the year and the Argonauts are now 2-0 in conference action.
 
UWF's 24 runs scored in Game 1 of the doubleheader tie the program records for the most runs scored against a four-year school and the biggest margin of victory over a four-year school, matching an identical 24-2 win over Pikeville in 1996. The total is also the most runs UWF has scored in a single game since the game against Pikeville on March 22, 1996.
 
UWF has now scored eight or more seven consecutive games, dating back to last Saturday, February 9, against California (Pa.). The Argonauts have also won eight games in a row, matching last year's longest streak that lasted from March 3-17.
 
On a day where West Florida hit .534, Rhiannon Sassman stood out. The senior went 5-for-6 (.833) for the day with five extra-base hits, five runs scored, and four RBIs. Sassman and Mallory Vining each hit home runs, helping UWF to a .914 slugging percentage between both games.
 
Game 1: UWF 24, CBU 2
Six Argonauts had multiple hits in Game 1, including Courtney McLellan who went 3-4 with two runs, a double, and a triple in her second career start. The others included Teala Howard, Sassman, Harley Tagert, Grace Gilbert, and Mika Garcia.
 
Sassman, Callan Taylor, Garcia, Madison Lanier, and Tagert all each had multiple RBIs as well.
 
Gilbert got the win after going three innings and allowing just two earned runs, before Tori Perkins finished off the game with two hitless innings of relief.
 
West Florida got ahead quickly, scoring three in the first inning and seven more in the second. After CBU put a pair of runs on the board in the third, the Argonauts scored 14 unanswered runs – 5 in the third and 9 in the fourth – to stretch the lead to the final 24-2.
 
UWF set season highs in runs (24), hits (19), RBIs (23), triples (3), and walks (10) in the game.
 
Game 2: UWF 8, CBU 1
Christian Brothers jumped out to a 1-0 lead after a half-inning, but the Argonauts scored two runs in the second, third, and fourth innings, before adding a run in the fifth and sixth to respond with eight unanswered runs and take the win.
 
Vining picked up the first hit of her career in Game 2, lining a single through the left side of the infield and scoring Ashley McNally to give UWF a 2-1 lead. She later hit her first career home run in a 3-for-3 day at the dish.
 
Kelsey Sweatt was outstanding on Saturday, earning her fourth win of the season in a complete game effort. She struck out seven, did not walk anyone, and allowed only three hits – all of which came in the first two innings. After Abby Ferriera doubled with one out in the second, Sweatt was perfect. She retired 17 consecutive batters to finish the game and improve to 4-0.
 
With today's performance, Sweatt holds a .121 opponent batting average, which leads the league. Her 46 strikeouts rank second and her 0.96 ERA ranks sixth.
 
Sassman had a three-hit game with two doubles and her 20th career triple, which is good for third in the UWF record books. McNally had two RBIs, one of which tied the game in the second, and Ally Merrill went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
West Florida will go for the series sweep on Sunday at 1 pm.