MESA, Ariz. – Carroll college softball used dominate pitching and timely hitting to earn 7-1 and 7-2 victories over Benedictine University at Mesa in a doubleheader Friday to improve to 6-2 overall on the season.
 
In the first game, the Saints scored in the first inning off of a Tianna Harper double to center, scoring Allison Bayer. 
 
In the fourth inning, Paige Blake singled to third, scoring Justine Taylor that gave the Saints a 2-0 lead.
 
After giving up a run in the bottom of the fourth, Carroll responded with three runs in the fifth inning.  Harper and Taylor singled to shallow left and center to score a run each.  TJ Rucker reached base after a bobble by the Redhawks and allowed Taylor to score from second base, giving the Saints a 5-1 lead.
 
The Saints added two more runs in the seventh after Taylor popped up to second and scored Harper from third base.  Taylor Otswald's ground out to short scored pinch runner Destry McNellis and gave Carroll the 7-1 win.
 
Ashely Davis threw her first complete game, allowing one run on six hits and striking out three.  Davis improved to 2-0 on the season with a team leading 0.50 ERA in 14 innings.
 
"Ashley had a great outing today in the circle." said head coach Aaron Jackson.  "Our offense constantly attacked and gave us a chance to win."
 
Carroll struck quickly again in the second game, Brittany Hogan scored a run on Megan Gipe's ground out to short to give the Saints a 1-0 lead after one inning. 
 
The Saints added to the lead with a McNellis ground out to short which scored Jaylin Kenney and gave Carroll a 2-0 lead after two innings.
 
McNellis singled in the fourth and scored after a fly ball by Hogan that was dropped by the Redhawks.  Carroll led 3-0 after four innings.
 
Blake walked and Hogan reached base after another dropped fly ball to set up Bayer in the sixth inning.  On a 1-0 count, Bayer hit a three-run home run to deep center field to give Carroll the 7-1 win.
 
MacKenna Landis shut down the Redhawks bats with a complete game victory, allowing one run on seven hits, striking out seven.  Landis improves to 2-0 on the season with a 2.15 ERA in 13 innings of work while striking out 11 and walking only two.
 
"Landis came through today and gave us groundballs and fly outs." Jackson said.  "We gutted out two wins and took advantage of their errors."
 
Harper was 4-for-4 in the first game with two RBIs and two runs.  Taylor went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs as well.
 
Bayer went 3-for-5 in the second game with 3 RBIs while Brittany Smith was 3-for-4 and a run scored.
 
Carroll does not get time to rest as they travel to Arizona Christian University for a doubleheader on Saturday.  The Firestorm is 4-0 on the early 2016 season.  First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. and live stats for the game can be found here.