Greyhounds sweep Hesston to begin homestand

Fort Scott Community College pitcher Cassie Sharon rounds third base after hitting her second home run of the first game of a doubleheader with Hesston College at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex in Fort Scott Friday afternoon. Sharon was 3 for 3 at the plate with 7 runs batted in while also throwing a 4-hit shutout in which she walked only one batter while striking out 7. The Greyhounds won the opener by run rule, 10-0, in 5 innings and completed the sweep with a 5-0 victory in the second game. (Scott Nuzum/Herald-Tribune)

FORT SCOTT -- Cassie Sharon had a pitcher's dream game in the first game of Fort Scott Community College's sweep of Hesston College in a doubleheader at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex Friday afternoon.

Sharon, a freshman from Diamond, Mo., hit the first two home runs of her career, drove in 7 runs, and also pitched a complete-game 4-hitter with 7 strikeouts as the Greyhounds took game one 10-0. They also went on to win game two 5-0, posting a sweep as the Greyhounds began a stretch where they will play five home doubleheaders in six days.

There was one drawback, though.

"This was the one game my parents didn't get to be here," Sharon said between games. "And those were the first two home runs I've hit."

So, Sharon family, clip this out and keep it for prosperity.

The Greyhounds will play a home Jayhawk Conference doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. this afternoon against Hutchinson. Sunday, they'll host North Central Missouri in a non-conference twinbill at 1 p.m. Tuesday has a 2 p.m. home conference doubleheader with Labette while Wednesday has a make-up conference outing against Coffeyville. First pitch for those doubleheaders is also 2 p.m.

With six games in three days, does head coach Malinda Berglund look for a perfect 6-0 weekend?

"That would be nice but we have Hutchinson coming and they're pretty good," Berglund said. "If we keep on doing what we've been doing, I think we can get at least a split and possibly get a sweep."

The 'Hounds (8-16) have won five of their last six games and are moving up in Division II district seeding. Although this was not a conference doubleheader -- Hesston is an independent -- the sweep pushed Fort Scott up two spots in post-season tournament seeding. At the beginning of the week, Fort Scott was 13th among the 14 Division II teams. The 'Hounds are currently 10th and are two games out of the seventh position.

"We're focusing more on every play and what we need to do and we've been getting it done this week," Berglund said.

Sharon allowed only six runners to reach base -- one got on via fielder's choice -- but also struck out the side in the top of the first and got two strikeouts to get out of a pickle in the second as a Hesston runner was able to get to third base.

The defense helped as well. A couple of line-drive snags in the infield were helpful in the third and fourth innings.

The offense started off with single runs in the first and second innings. Sharon's 2-our double scored Paige Colburn in the first. Colburn plated Megan Barrager in the second after Barrager doubled with 2 outs.

Sharon hit her first homer in the third after Marie Crowley reached third when an error in the outfield turned a single into three bases. That made it 4-0.

Six runs went up in the fourth. Barrager started things by drawing a walk. Then Colburn doubled and Courtney Borland's single to center plated 2 runs.

Crowley singled in front of Sharon's second homer, which scored 3 runs.

"She's just been exploding this week," Berglund said. "We played at Highland a couple of days ago and she was seeing the ball well and hitting it."

Sarah Donnell kept things going with a triple, scoring on Alix Price's grounder.

Colburn also had 3 hits for the Greyhounds, who had 15 in total. Crowley and Barrager were both 2 for 2 and Price was 2 for 3.

Erika Shrock had 2 of Hesston's 4 hits.

Borland set the tone in the second game by belting a solo homer in the first inning. Fort Scott added its other 4 runs in the third.

Fort Scott High graduate Jamie Collins led off with a single to right. Colburn bunted her over to second with one out. Borland followed with a triple to right. Sharon beat out an infield roller for a hit, which scored Borland. Brittny Washington reached base on an error. Then Barrager tripled to center to score Sharon and Washington.

Washington took over pitching duties in the second game. She ended the first inning with back-to-back strikeouts with a runner on second. She also ended the third inning with a strikeout to strand another Lark on third.

A bases-loaded "K" in the fourth ended that inning with Hesston runners stranded on first and second. She also got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth with a strikeout.

"She's had a couple of up-and-down games," Berglund said of Washington. "But I feel like today, she got back to what needed to do and hit her spots."

Washington allowed 3 hits and 5 walks while striking out 8. Her pitching counterpart, Chandelle Dacosin, was the only Lark with 2 hits.

Borland went 2 for 3 for the 'Hounds, who had 7 hits off Dacosin.

Hutchinson played at Johnson County Friday but scores were not available in time for today's edition. Prior to their trip to Overland Park, the Blue Dragons were 8-8 in conference play, 10-10 against Division II teams and 19-20 overall.

Game One

WP -- Sharon. LP -- Sheets.

HR -- Fort Scott: Sharon 2 (3rd inn., one on, none out; 4th inn., two on, none out.

Game Two

WP -- Washington. LP -- Dacosin.

HR -- Fort Scott: Borland (1st inn, none on, one out).