Related: Softball Blanks St. Andrews In Opener

LAURINBURG – The UNC Pembroke rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to complete a 4-run comeback effort as the Braves finished off a doubleheader sweep of St. Andrews with a 6-4 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Knights Softball Field.

Kaytee Wilson doubled in a run and scored once on a 2-for-5 outing for UNCP (16-11), while Toni Nelson plated a pair of runs on a 2-for-4 hitting line. Carleigh Brooks drove in a run on a 1-for-3 outing for the Braves as well.

Caelin Packer tallied a pair of doubles on a 3-for-4 showing for St. Andrews (7-19) who has now dropped 15-straight games in the series, including four setbacks to the Braves this season. Kelsey Lee (2-for-3) and Kori Ballard (2-for-4) both scored runs on two-hit outings for the hosts.

Katie Saunders (8-6) spelled starter Dakota Leviner with none out in the fifth and picked up the win for the Black & Gold with four shutout innings of relief in which she yielded just three hits and struck out one. Summer Jacobs (2-6) surrendered six runs (five earned) on nine hits and a trio of walks in 7-2/3 innings from the circle to saddle the loss for the Knights.

The Braves used a one-out sac fly by Brea Hartley in the opening frame to light up the scoreboard first, and then took a 2-0 advantage on Wilson's run-scoring single with one out in the third. Despite registering just two hits in the first three innings, St. Andrews went to work in the fourth, using a costly fielding error to plate its first run of the game, and then tying the score on a successful double steal attempt.

The Knights led off the bottom of the fifth with consecutive singles, and then moved both runners into position on a groundout with the ensuing at-bat. Ballard's suicide squeeze bunt brought Jordyn Peay racing home with the go-ahead run, and the Knights went out in front 4-2 moments later when Packer slid under the tag at home plate on a knock by Jen George.

UNCP got a run back on Nelson's RBI single with one out in the sixth, but the Braves would strand a pair of runners in the frame, including one in scoring position. Wilson doubled to start the seventh, and was moved 60 feet away on an ensuing sac bunt by Hartley. Taylor Gerhart's sac fly with the ensuing at-bat would even the game back up.

The Braves will continue their 10-game road trip on Saturday when they make the long trip to central Alabama to take on Peach Belt Conference rival Montevallo (15-18, 5-7 PBC) in a noon EST doubleheader at Orr Park.