Feb. 28, 2007

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Charlotte, N.C. - Talk about an impressive debut!

Courtney Conron struck out 11 batters in the process of tossing a five-inning, no-hit shutout Wednesday afternoon and led The Rock to a 13-0 win over hosting Johnson C. Smith University in SRU's season-opening game.

The only negative to Conron's gem was the fact that she walked three batters.

Sheree Horvath followed up Conron's "no-no" with a eight-strikeout, four-hit, seven-inning complete-game pitching effort as SRU completed the doubleheader sweep with a 6-1 triumph in Game 2. She walked one batter and allowed an earned run.

The Rock will look to continue its hot start on Thursday, when it takes on Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C.

While The Rock pitchers were virtually unhittable, The Rock offense was pretty much unstoppable. SRU collected 15 hits in the first game and added 11 in Game 2.

Jessica Kortz, Kayla Ray and Stacey Rhoades had three hits apiece to lead SRU's Game 1 attack. One of Kortz's hits was a double. She also picked up two RBIs, while Ray and Rhoades had one RBI each.

Meghan McHenry, Amber Phillips and Kim Weindel each had a pair of RBIs in the game. Phillips (double) and Weindel (triple) joined Kortz in the extra-base-hit column.

McHenry collected three hits in Game 2 and came up only a single shy of hitting for the cycle as she collected a double, triple and solo home run in the contest.

Kortz added a two-run home run, Horvath helped her own cause with a double and Ray had a pair of singles.

Overshadowed by the hitting parade was the baserunning effort of Courtney Vincent, who swiped a total of four bases in the twinbill.

Did you know? The Rock needs to win only one of Thursday's games to have its best start in Vashion Johnson's four-year head coaching career. The Rock began its 2006 season with a 1-3 record after going 2-2 to open the 2005 campaign -- a season in which SRU recorded a school-record 23 victories. The Rock lost both games of its season-opening doubleheader at Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) in 2004, then blanked Savannah State by identical 14-0 scores the following day to even its record at 2-2 ... As lopsided as Wednesday's season-opening 13-0 win was, it represented only half the domination SRU displayed in its season opener a year ago. SRU pounded out 23 hits and whitewashed hosting Ohio Valley University (W. Va.) by a 25-0 score in its opening game exactly one year ago, but then turned around and lost a 4-2 decision in the second game of that day's doubleheader ... Thursday's opening-game run total was the highest recorded by The Rock since its season-opening win at Ohio Valley a year ago.