Entering the home stretch of the regular season, the Lady Bears wanted to make a splash to open a very busy week. And they did just that picking up a pair of wins Monday over Mississippi Delta taking Game 1 4-3 before shutting down the Lady Trojans in Game 2, winning 11-0.
 
"The kids played like we are capable of playing," Southwest head coach Shea Johnson said. "I think getting the early win and coming out and scoring some runs gave us the opportunity to do what we do. I thought that we played good defense and hit the ball."
 
Southwest hosted the games but was the visiting team in both. The games were moved to Summit due to unplayable field conditions in Moorhead.
 
The Lady Bears (17-21, 6-16 MACCC) got off to a positive start in Game 1 as Presley Dease doubled to center bringing Anlyssa Richardson and Maggie Wilks home putting Southwest up 2-0 in the first inning.
 
Southwest starter Abbey Pevey fed off of that momentum and kept the Lady Trojans off of the board through the first inning.
 
She ran into some trouble in the third as Delta rallied to plate two runs, tying the game. But she quickly regrouped and got out of the inning.
 
She got help from her offense when Dease hit a solo home run to left giving the Lady Bears the lead once again at 3-2.
 
In the seventh the Lady Bears rallied as Sasha King led off with a single and was replaced by Richardson as a pinch runner. She then scored during the ensuing at bat when Wilks hit a single of her own making it a 4-2 game.
 
Once again, the Lady Trojans showed fight as the pushed a run across in the seventh but Pevey and the Lady Bears shut them down afterward to preserve the win.
 
Pevey went the distance for Southwest giving up only five hits, three runs (two earned) and three walks while striking out two.
 
"I tried to stick with what we have been doing this season, staying down and away so they couldn't get a good barrel on anything," she said.

Dease led the offense going 3-for-4 with a home run, one run scored and three RBIs. Wilks went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
 
In Game 2, Karleigh Daze' got the start picked up where Pevey left off. She got some early help from her offense as the Lady Bears put together a huge run in the first inning.
 
With two on and only one out, Pevey hit an RBI single before Anne Claire Sistrunk joined the fray with an RBI double. Erin Acey kept the rally going with an RBI single of her own making it a 4-0 game in favor of Southwest. Later in the inning Morgan Gras reached on an error resulting in two more runs scoring and giving the Lady Bears a 6-0 advantage.
 
Daze' fed off of that momentum and retired three of the first four batters that she faced. "I was definitely comfortable especially since we started off with the bats really big, and had a big lead." she said. "I was just throwing what I could. I had to keep throwing as hard as I can, as much as I can."
 
She got some additional help in the second. Wilks continued to shine at the plate leading off with a double before Dease singled and was replaced by pinch runner MaryClaire Johnson. Next up was Pevey who hit a sacrifice fly to center bringing Wilks home and moving Johnson to third. Johnson scored during the ensuing at bat when Sistrunk grounded out.
 
Now leading 8-0, Daze' and the Lady Bears kept giving the Lady Trojans fits, retiring the side in order in the second before halting a threat with two base runners on in the third.
 
Southwest rounded out its scoring in the fourth getting a run on a passed ball before adding another two on back-to-back RBI singles by Shaylee Ingram and Richardson.
 
The Lady Bears kept the Lady Trojans at bay over the last two innings preserving the shutout win.
 
Daze' pitched all five innings giving up only four hits, no runs and one walk while striking out two.
 
Wilks turned in another big performance with a three-hit effort while also recording two runs scored. Afterward she said that her performance was a bit of a carry-over from last week.
 
"I was very comfortable because I had a good day at Coahoma the other day," she said. "But there's nothing better than a very productive day as a player and a team and as a team we did very well at the plate today."
 
Sistrunk said that getting the wins Monday helps build some much needed momentum especially since the Lady Bears' next opponent is No. 14 East Central.
 
"I hope that we keep it going and we don't go backwards. I think that we are just leaving it out on the field now," she said. 
 
The Lady Bears will host the Lady Warriors Wednesday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.