COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College softball team picked up their first win of the season by sweeping a doubleheader against Johnson C. Smith in their home opener on Wednesday afternoon.

In the first game, Tandreanna Conyers had an inside-the-park home run, and Starkeira Daniel also had a homer as the Lady Tigers cruised to a 12-3 victory in five innings. In the second game, the Lady Tigers pounded out 14 hits and got a home run from Erika Dargan in a 13-8 victory.

Benedict moves to 2-4 on the season. This was the season opener for Johnson C. Smith, now 0-2.

The Golden Bulls jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the first game, taking advantage of four hits and a pair of Benedict errors. But the Lady Tigers held the Golden Bulls to just two hits and no runs over the next four innings.

Benedict got two runs in the second inning as Dargan led off with a single and later came home on a double by Ericka Young. De'Maya Davis brought home Young with a single. The Lady Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the third on Conyer's deep hit to the right-field corner and was able to race around the bases for the inside-the-park homer.

Benedict took the lead in the fourth inning with four runs on four hits and a JCSU error. Young had an RBI single and a throwing error allowed two runs to score. A triple by Conyers drove in another run.

Benedict closed out the game with five runs in the fifth inning. Daniel hit a two-run homer. A bases-loaded walk to Miyah Rogers brought home another run. Conyers closed out the game with a two-run single.

Marshallnae Bell picked up the win, giving up six hits and two earned runs.

In the second game, Johnson C. Smith opened the game with one run in the first inning. Benedict answered with four runs in the bottom of the first, Rogers scored on an error, Daniel had an RBI single, Bell drove home Daniel with a double, and Taylor Roberts brought Bell home with a hard shot up the middle.

Benedict pushed across three more runs in the second as Dargan brought home Amari Lawson on a sacrifice fly, and Daniel drove home two runs with a single. The Lady Tigers increased the lead with five runs in the third inning. Lakirah Johnson had an RBI double and Lawson drove in a run with a triple to left field.

The Golden Bulls closed the gap with a two-run homer in the fourth and a three-run homer in the fifth. Dargan had a solo homer for the Lady Tigers in the fifth.

The Lady Tigers are scheduled to return to action next Wednesday with a home doubleheader against Fayetteville State at 1 p.m. The two games at the Johnson C. Smith tournament Saturday in Charlotte were cancelled due to an unfavorable weather forecast.