AIKEN, S.C. – Friday was a day of firsts for the UNC Pembroke softball team, clinching a Peach Belt Conference tournament berth for the first time since 2011 behind an Abbey Walters no-hitter in a 10-0 game two win over USC Aiken, the first such game for a Black & Gold pitcher since 2010. The Pacers took game one 9-1 in six innings at J.H. Satcher Field.
The Braves (26-23-1, 12-10 PBC) clinch at least a No. 7-seed in the upcoming league tournament with Friday's split and could be as high as the No. 4-seed with two games to play. USC Aiken (27-17, 11-11 PBC) see a three-game winning streak come to an end with the game two defeat.
Walters was one batter shy of a perfect game, walking the lead-off batter in the second frame, but still faced the minimum 18 batters after a double play erased the runner. The last UNCP no hitter on May 6, 2010 was thrown by Alex Hartshorn in a 10-0, five-inning win over Lander. The last Brave hurler to toss a no-hitter of at least six innings was UNCP hall of famer Nicole McCorkle on Feb. 2, 2003 in a 2-0 season-opening win over Queens.
Walters (7-5) struck out five Pacers, while recording her fourth complete game and first shutout of the season. Her season ERA fell from 3.30 to a team-low 3.03 and opponents are now hitting just .242 against the righty. Walters saw her conference ERA drop to 2.67, good for sixth among all PBC hurlers.
It wasn't just her arm that proved supreme in game two, as Walters showed off her prowess in the box with a first-inning, three-run home run over the left-field wall to put the Braves out front 3-0. It's her team-leading seventh long ball of the season and she now has 37 runs batted in, also tops on the squad.
The Black & Gold broke the game open in the sixth, scoring seven runs on seven hits to stretch the lead to 10-0 and put the mercy-rule into effect. Carleigh Brooks, Lexie Coxe, Morgan Davis, Jamie Johnson, Whitney Jackson and Taylor Gerhart all had at least one RBI in the frame.
UNCP's 11 hits are the most since a March 13 win over Georgia Southwestern. Johnson and Coxe were the only two Braves with multiple base knocks, as eight of the nine starters recorded a hit. Johnson and Jackson each scored two runs, while Walters drove in three and Jackson plated two runners.
Friday's opening affair was one to forget for the Black & Gold, as they dropped their third run-rule contest of the season. The lone UNCP run came in the fourth when Jackson reached on an error and came around to score on a Toni Nelson single.
Katie Saunders (14-12) saw her strong of excellent starts come to an end, surrendering nine runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings. She struck out three Pacers, walked two and allowed two home runs.
The Braves will take a rare Saturday off before wrapping up conference play Sunday with a home doubleheader against Montevallo. The Falcons (19-32, 3-15 PBC) have lost six straight and 10 of their last 12. It will be just the third and fourth meetings between the squads since Montevallo softball's inception in 2015. The Falcons took both games last season at home, 4-2 and 3-2.
Sunday will serve as UNCP's senior day to honor Whitney Jackson, Katie Saunders and Morgan Davis, who could possibly be playing their final home game in the Black & Gold. Live stats and video links can be found at uncpbraves.com.
