PEMBROKE – On a day in which the UNC Pembroke softball team hosted its inaugural Cancer Awareness Series at the UNCP Softball field, visiting Flagler hit .556 with runners in scoring position (15-for-27) to sweep a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) doubleheader 12-1 and 8-2 on Saturday afternoon in Pembroke.

The setbacks are losses three and four in a row for the Braves (16-12, 0-6 PBC), who are off to their worst start in league play since a 0-9 start in the 2004 campaign. Flagler (18-15, 5-3 PBC) has now won six of its last seven overall and four straight in the series against the Black & Gold.

Flagler took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of game one, but the Braves answered in the latter half of the fifth when Taylor Gerhart launched her third home run of the season to left field to knot the game at 1-1. Unfortunately for UNCP, Gerhart's long ball was its only base knock of the game.

The Saints exploded for 11 runs on 11 hits in the top of the fifth to break the game open and cruise to the 12-1, run-rule victory. It's the fourth run-rule defeat of the season for the Braves.

Flagler's Ally Marcano went the distance in the circle to improve to 8-7 this season. She allowed one run on one hit, while striking out three batters and walking four.

Two-out hitting allowed the guests to jump out to a 5-0 lead after two innings in game two. The Saints scored all five runs with two outs and tacked on another in the third to lead 6-0 after three. UNCP's Raygan Larson settled down in the circle and did not allow a hit in innings four, five or six, but Flagler plated two more runs in the seventh on three hits to take a commanding 8-0 lead.

With two outs and nobody on in the latter half of the seventh, Rendi Wetherington was hit by a pitch and came around to score UNCP's first run on Haleigh Epperson's double. Epperson then scored on Gerhart's triple to pull the Black & Gold to within six before a fly out ended the threat.

Epperson, Gerhart and Wetherington each logged a pair of hits in game two, while Bailey Hoch went 1-for-3 with a double.

Prior to Saturday's games, childhood cancer survivor Creed Sellers threw out a ceremonial first pitch to UNCP cancer survivor Haleigh Epperson. The senior was then surprised by Dr. William Ward, the man who saved Haleigh's life 16 years ago.

The Braves are back in action Wednesday when they travel to Charlotte to take on Johnson C. Smith. First pitch of the twinbill I set for 1 p.m. at Biddleville Park. It will be the first meeting between the teams in program history. The Golden Bulls (5-9) have won three of their last four games since beginning the season 2-8.