Basket Shines in Circle and at Plate as Blue Devils Roll to 16-0 Win

VIERA WEST, Fla. — Lawrence Tech used a six-run first inning and a dominant two-way performance from Sarah Basket to overpower Kent State University at Tuscarawas 16-0 in five innings Friday night at the Space Coast Complex, closing out a doubleheader sweep on the Blue Devils’ spring break trip.

The Blue Devils, now 10-4 on the season and 7-3 in Florida with two games remaining on the trip, broke the game open immediately and never looked back. Lawrence Tech sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first, cashing in on timely hitting and pressure on the basepaths to build a 6-0 cushion that proved more than enough for Basket in the circle.

Basket, a sophomore P/DP from Essexville, Mich., turned in a complete-game one-hitter, working 5.0 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and just one walk. She needed only 43 pitches to navigate the Kent State Tuscarawas lineup, facing minimal traffic as the Blue Devils played error-free defense behind her. Lawrence Tech pitchers and defense combined to allow just one hit and two total baserunners while posting a 15-1 advantage in hits and a 16-0 margin on the scoreboard.

The offense backed Basket early and often. In the opening frame, Zoey Markey sparked the outburst with a two-run triple to center, and Lawrence Tech kept the inning alive with an RBI single, a run-scoring passed ball and additional productive swings to push the lead to 6-0. The Blue Devils kept the pressure on in the second with five more runs, highlighted by an RBI sacrifice fly from Natilee Pridemore, a steal of home by Markey and a two-run home run by Basket. Ashley Stafford capped the inning with an RBI single as the advantage swelled to 11-0.

Lawrence Tech continued to add on in the third, using miscues and a walk to set the table before Basket struck again with a two-run double to make it 13-0. After a scoreless fourth, the Blue Devils closed their scoring in the fifth when Sophia Propps ripped a two-run double and Jacqui LeBlanc followed with an RBI single, pushing the final margin to 16-0 and enforcing the run rule.

Basket finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and five RBIs to go with her shutout in the circle. Markey, a Freeland, Mich., infielder, reached base repeatedly with a triple, double, two stolen bases, two RBIs and four runs scored. Propps scored three times, drew two walks and drove in two with her late double, while LeBlanc turned in a three-hit, two-run, one-RBI performance as part of a balanced Lawrence Tech lineup that totaled four doubles, a triple and the Basket homer.

The Blue Devils also flashed clean defense, committing no errors while Kent State Tuscarawas was charged with three. Lawrence Tech’s aggressive running game produced six stolen bases and kept constant pressure on the Golden Eagles’ defense as the Blue Devils continued their strong form on the spring break trip. Lawrence Tech is slated to return to action Saturday at the Space Coast Complex with two more contests to close out its Florida schedule.