Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
CHARLOTTE – Six home runs and 13 extra-base hits powered the UNC Pembroke softball squad past Queens (N.C.) Thursday afternoon at Park Road Park, as the Braves swept the Royals 4-2 and 16-3 for their first doubleheader sweep of the season.
It's the third-consecutive win for the Braves (5-2), who scored the most runs in a game since March 9, 2014 against Georgia Southwestern (17) and racked up the most hits in a game (19) since at least 2010. The setbacks give Queens (1-5) its fourth and fifth losses in its first six games and the Royals are being outscored 43-9 in their five losses.
Down 2-0 after a pair of miscues allowed two unearned Royal runs to cross the plate, the Braves' bats came alive in the final two innings to push UNCP to a 4-2 victory in game one.
Senior
Abbey Walters ripped a one-out double in the sixth to set the stage for a
Taylor Gerhart home run to deep center. It was Gerhart's first home run of the season and RBIs number five and six.
Knotted at two apiece in the seventh, the Braves used two-out magic to take their first lead of the game. Junior
Jamie Johnson reached base on an infield single, her third hit of the game. Classmate
Haleigh Epperson followed with UNCP's second two-run long ball of the day, this time to left center for her first home run of her career to put the Black & Gold out front 4-2.
Sophomore
Taylor Strickland set Queens down in order in the seventh to secure the come-from-behind UNCP victory. Strickland (1-0) tossed four scoreless innings in relief to grab her first win of the season. She struck out two Royals and did not walk a batter. Walters made the start in the circle, going three innings and allowing a pair of unearned runs.
The Braves racked up double-digit hits (10) for the third time in the first six games, paced by Johnson's three. Walters and freshman
Alex Watkins each tacked on a pair of hits.
The backend of the twinbill provided a much easier road to victory for the Black & Gold, as the guests put together a season-best 16 runs on 19 hits, also a season high. The Braves scored at least three runs in all but one inning of the five-inning, run rule triumph. UNCP put up a four-spot in the first inning and followed that with five, four and three in innings three, four and five, respectively.
Seven Braves had multiple hits and all nine starters had at least one base knock. Walters and Gerhart were each a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish with four runs scored apiece. Walters mashed three home runs, a pair of two-run shots and a solo blast to give her a Peach Belt Conference-leading five on the season. Her 12 runs batted in is also tops in the league. Newcomer
Jessica Auld also drove home five runs in a 2-for-3 effort, including a three-run home run in the fourth inning.
Freshman
Maddie Armfield (1-0) made her UNCP debut in the circle, tossing four inning in relief to pick up her first win. She allowed just one unearned run on three hits, while striking out three.
The Black & Gold return home Saturday to host Barton in a doubleheader at noon and 2 p.m. at LRA Field. The Bulldogs (2-0) swept St. Augustine's 8-0 and 3-2 to open their 2017 campaign. UNCP leads the all-time series 21-12 over Barton and the sides split a twinbill last season in Wilson.
