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PEMBROKE – Newcomer Selena Ashley controlled the pace of the game from the middle from the opening pitch and kept nationally-ranked Kutztown scoreless through seven innings to assist the UNC Pembroke softball team in blanking the Golden Bears, 3-0, in the second game of the UNCP Invitational on Thursday. 

The victory marked the biggest win in school history from a rankings standpoint as the Lady Braves (2-2) had not recorded a win over a team nationally-ranked in the top-three since last season against the same team. UNCP snapped a two-game losing-streak and handed No. 2 Kutztown (0-1) its first loss of the season.

Ashley (1-0) dished out a career-high nine strikeouts and gave up only four hits and a pair of walks in her complete game, did not give up her first hit until the fifth inning and logged at least one strikeout in six of the seven innings.

First baseman Megan Hillard was 2-for-2, while Taylor Cloninger and Brea Hartley each added a hit and run apiece. Freshman D'Andra Spinks drove in the final run of the game as a pinch runner, while Caitlin Steel collected the lone RBI of the game.

Savannah Nierintz tallied half of the four hits for Kutztown which came in the fifth and seventh innings. Pitcher Dominique Ficara (0-1) gave up the first two runs of the game on four hits for the loss and was relieved by Mary Kociencki for the final two innings.

Hartley put the first hit of the game on the board with a single to the second baseman and was moved around the bases to score the opening run on a wild pitch in the second. A double to left field by Cloninger started the run in the fourth inning as Steel capitalized on a sacrifice fly to score the second run of the contest. 

Finally in the fifth inning, senior Shelby Holland advanced to first on an error and with Spinks running for her, rounded the bases on a sacrifice bunt and crossed home plate on a fielding error by the catcher. The Lady Braves held out defensively through the final two innings and forced the Golden Bears to leave six runners on base throughout the contest.

The squad will be back in action on Friday in a 10 a.m. to face No. 2 Kutztown (0-2) and Barton (0-0) at 2 p.m. on the final day of the UNCP Invitational at LRA Field.