PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida offense kept rolling with a 9-1 win over Christian Brothers on Sunday, finishing the weekend sweep to start Gulf South Conference play and improving to 13-1 for the year. Rhiannon Sassman went 4-for-4 on Sunday, wrapping up a weekend during which she went 9-for-10 with seven extra-base hits.
 
As a team, West Florida hit .488 and scored 41 runs in the series, with 19 extra-base hits and an .869 slugging percentage. In the circle, UWF pitching posted a 2.00 ERA and struck out 19 batters over 18 innings of work.
 
"I'm feeling pretty confident going into the rest of the season that our pitchers, our hitters, our defense is going to get everything done," Sassman said. "It's nice to start strong and have your teammates behind you cheering you on. Our pitchers got it done, our defense worked, it was exciting."
 
Sassman shined again on Sunday, with a double, a home run, a stolen base, and three RBIs – one of which was the game-winner. Rachel Wright also had a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs, and Kathleen Smiley had two RBIs, as well. Sassman, Smiley, and Jacquelynne Poling – who has a 10-game hitting streak – have all reached in every game they've played in this year.
 
The scoring got started early on Sunday, with Wright drawing a walk, stealing second, and scoring when Teala Howard dropped a bunt and CBU made an error on the play. Howard would come around a batter later when Sassman doubled down the left field line, making it 2-0 West Florida.
 
Kendall Westbrooks singled up the middle for Christian Brothers to score Ashley Dyer in the third, but that would be the only run CBU scored in the game. Tori Perkins earned her fifth win of the year in the circle, allowing just five hits over six innings and striking out seven batters.
 
Perkins, a Tate HS graduate, finished the weekend with a 1.12 ERA against the Lady Bucs, throwing eight total innings, holding batters to a .179 batting average, and striking out 10.
 
Smiley hit a two-run home run in the third to stretch the UWF lead to 4-1, and it was her first of the year. The Pensacola native now ranks 11th in UWF history with 17 career home runs.
 
West Florida put a four-spot on the board in the fourth inning, with a two-run triple from Wright, a Teala Howard sacrifice fly, and a Sassman home run – her second of the weekend. Sassman would single down the left field line in the sixth to score Wright and wrap up the game with a 9-1 win.
 
West Florida will continue Gulf South Conference play with AUM on Friday and Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama.