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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With a tied score and Kaytee Wilson on base with a single up the middle, the UNC Pembroke softball team used Taylor Cloninger's sacrafice fly to score the game-winning run in the fifth inning and keep the Lady Braves perfect on the day at the Mid-South Classic with the 5-4 victory over Carson-Newman on Saturday evening.

UNCP (11-6) logged its third-consecutive win and remained perfect during the tournament, while also holding a two-game win streak with Carson-Newman (13-5). The Lady Braves also are now 4-1 in games that end before the seventh inning, while the loss marked the fourth-straight defeat this season for the Eagles with all four occurring during the Mid-South Classic. 

The Lady Braves collected seven hits during the game with Brea Hartley leading the team with two and one RBI, while Megan Hillard, Karlee Wilson and Morgan Davis each totaled one hit and an RBI as Hillard notched a pair of runs in the second and fourth innings. The Eagles posted nine hits but left 10 on base at the end of the game as Brittany Hefner and Hayley Burnette logged two hits apiece, and Elayna Siebert posted a team-high two RBI.

UNCP's Selena Ashley (6-2) earned the win after pitching a complete seven innings with nine hits, four earned runs and two strikeouts, while Kalyn Davis suffered the loss in the middle for Carson-Newman after going the first five innings and allowing all five (one earned) runs, before Sarah Howard closed out the final two innings.

Carson-Newman landed the first run of the game as Jeanie Perrucci singled through the left side and scored on Hefner's base hit in the first inning. UNCP quickly took the lead in the top of the third as Shelby Holland reached on a walk, Hillard advanced on an error and Hartley made it to first on a fielder's choice with all crossing home plate to give UNCP a 3-1 lead.

In the fourth, Hillard tripled to right field and was brought home on Hartley's single up the middle to put the Black and Gold ahead by three runs, but the Eagles added three runs in the fourth on a walk, three hits and a sacrifice fly to tie the game heading into the fifth.

UNCP's offense with Kaytee Wilson reaching on a base hit, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, third on an error and home on Cloninger's sacrifice fly gave UNCP the lead, and after two solid innings of defense, the one-run victory.

The Lady Braves will close out competition at the Mid-South Classic on Sunday when they battle Bellarmine (5-4) at 10 a.m. and Lenior-Rhyne (13-4) at 2 p.m.