February 10, 2012

By Matt Green

Box Score

WALESKA, Ga. -- Jessica Bowman, Charlsie Broome and Jackie Castaneda hit home runs and Kaitie Kiser fanned seven batters in three innings as the No. 9-ranked Shorter softball team opened the 2012 season with a 13-1 win over Montret College in each team's first game of the Reinhardt University Invitational on Friday morning.

The Lady Hawks (1-0) pounded out 19 hits and scored 11 runs over the first two innings to rout the Cavaliers (0-1). Six Shorter players recorded two RBI in the win.

Bowman, a junior transfer from Wallace-Hanceville, finished 2-for-2 with a run scored, the home run and two RBI in her Shorter debut. Amanda Dailey, a transfer from Shelton State, was also a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate while Sarah Corn, a sophomore transfer from NCAA II University of North Alabama, went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Perhaps most impressive of the newcomers was Kiser, who sat out last season after transferring from Carson-Newman College. Kiser struck out seven of the 12 batters she faced over 3.0 innings, did not issue a walk and surrendered just three hits. Jamie Thomas, a true freshman from Kennesaw Mountain High, closed out the final two innings and allowed one run on one hit with two strikeouts.

While the newcomers played well, Shorter's veterans were on their games.

Broome, Shorter's all-time leader in stolen bases who also ranks second all-time in Shorter history in triples, showed her power from the leadoff spot with her seventh career homer. Broome, a senior, also scored three runs and stole the 69th base of her career.

Like Broome, Castaneda, who made the move to shortstop from catcher this season, went 2-for-2 with two RBI and a homer. All told, Shorter's No. 1 through No. 5 batters -- Broome, Castaneda, Dailey, Brooke Bryan and Emily Clements -- combined to go 10-for-10 to spark Shorter's offensive fireworks.

The Lady Hawks play their second game of the Reinhardt University Invitational this afternoon against Warner University.