Posted: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 2:55 pm

After a rough patch in the season dealing with injuries and illness, the young Gleason Lady Bulldogs softball team is getting back on track thanks to a successful road swing.

The Gleason girls pulled off district doubleheader sweeps in Humboldt and Tiptonville last week. On Tuesday of last week, the Lady Dawgs edged the host Lake County Lady Falcons, 4-3, in the opening game before walloping the home team, 10-1, in the finale.

When the Orange and Black trekked to Humboldt on Thurs-day afternoon, both games proved to be close affairs. The Lady Dawgs triumphed 4-3 in the opener and then held off the host Humboldt Lady Vikings, 7-5, in the nightcap.

Against Lake County in the early game, the Gleason girls threatened to score early but left the bases loaded. Heather Bowles knocked a one-out single past third base, then Taylor Stout was hit by a pitch and Sami Verdell drew a two-out walk. The Lady Falcons got out of the jam by recording their third strikeout of the inning.

Gleason avoided falling behind in the home half of the first inning. A walk and a hit batter created the drama, but the Lady Dawg defense stepped up to strand a runner on base and keep the game scoreless.

After Gleason went down in order in the second inning, the Lady Falcons got the leadoff batter on base via an error, but Lady Dawg starting pitcher Alicyn Martin got the next three batters in order, including striking out a pair.

The Lady Dawgs broke through in the top of the third. Bowles and Stout drew consecutive one-out walks. Alicyn Martin then ripped a double to left to bring home the two runners and give GHS a 2-0 lead.

Lake County bounced back by plating three runs in the bottom of the third. Four Gleason errors contributed, but Alicyn Martin worked out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the Lady Dawg deficit at 3-2 through three.

Gleason knotted the score, 4-4, in the fourth inning when Sarah Passeri led off with a single and scored.

The Lady Dawgs got the winning run across the plate in the fifth when Audrea Martin walked and eventually scored for a 4-3 Gleason win.

In the second game of the day, the Lady Dawgs took control early with a first-inning run, added four more in the second and then plated five runs in the third inning of its 10-1 win.

Lake County got its lone run in the third and final inning of the shortened game.

Gleason's Briana Jones scored three times, while Bowles scored twice for GHS.

Kaitlyn Collins picked up the mound win for the Dawgs.

Against Humboldt's Lady Vikings, the Gleason girls took advantage of one big inning in their 4-3 win in the first of the two games.

Humboldt scored first with a run on two hits in its first at-bat of the afternoon.

Gleason stranded a pair in both the first and second innings.

In the third inning, the Lady Dawgs plated four runs. Bowles and Stout drew walks, while Audrea Martin singled and Verdell tripled. All four crossed home plate for a 4-1 lead.

The Lady Vikings tried to rally in the home half of the fifth, scoring two runs before Gleason notched the third out to preserve its 4-3 win.

Both Audrea Martin and Verdell went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the win.

Collins took the win from the mound for GHS.

In the second game of the day, the first inning ended with the score tied at 1-all. Bowles walked and scored for Gleason.

The Lady Vikings held a 4-3 edge after two innings. Verdell and Alicyn Martin both singled and scored for the Lady Dawgs.

Gleason moved back on top by the end of the third inning thanks to a three-run uprising. Bowles and Stout singled and scored, while Audrea Martin tripled and scored for a 6-4 advantage. The Lady Vikes squandered a leadoff triple when GHS pitcher Alicyn Martin induced two fly outs and a groundout.

Humboldt cut a run off its deficit in the top of the fourth to trail, 6-5. Gleason added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth when Passeri singled and scored for a 7-5 lead.

The Lady Dawg defense did the rest in the top of the fifth, retiring the Humboldt batters in order to set of a celebration of Gleason's 7-5 win and a sweep.

Bowles was 2-for-2 with two runs scored in the win.