SALISBURY, Md. – The top-ranked Salisbury University softball team continued its winning ways on Saturday, claiming its 18th and 19th consecutive contests by sweeping a twin bill against Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) foe Mary Washington on Saturday afternoon at Margie Knight Stadium. Before the doubleheader, the program honored its five graduating senior players: Abby Mace, Lauren Meyers, Nicole Ortega, Natalie Paoli, and Meghan Reed.

HOW IT HAPPENED

GAME ONE

• The Sea Gull offense was the first to pounce, beginning with a Carrie Jacoby lead-off walk in the second. Emily Stockman doubled to left center one out later before Sam Flowers slapped a pitch up the middle to drive in both pinch-runner McKenna Horner and Jacoby to give Salisbury an early 2-0 lead.
• Salisbury came back for more in the fourth. Meghan Reed sent a base knock to center before Jacoby laid a sacrifice bunt to move her to second. Lauren Meyers tacked on another hit to center, bringing her fellow senior home for a 3-0 advantage.
• The Eagles began the sixth with a Hannah Steele base knock and a Shelby Presgrave bunt single before Aminah Shakier laid a sacrifice bunt that placed runners on second and third with one down. A sacrifice fly from Bridget Laychak plated their first run before Erica Shoop recorded UMW's third base hit of the inning to plate another, narrowing the margin to one heading to the bottom half, 3-2.
• Reed opened the bottom of the frame by roping a two-bagger to right-center that Jacoby followed with a base hit through the left side, putting two Sea Gulls in scoring position. A Meyers sacrifice fly plated Reed, while Stockman sent a single up the middle to score another. Flowers put a bow on the big inning with a stand-up triple, bringing Stockman in and setting the 6-2 score.
• Nicole Ortega slammed the door in the seventh, using a strikeout, popout, and flyout to retire the side and finish her complete game effort.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Emily Stockman turned in a 3-for-3 day, notching two base hits and a double while scoring and driving in one run.
• Sam Flowers finished 2-for-3 with a triple while driving in a game-high three runs.
• Meghan Reed went 2-for-3 with a double and scored twice.
• Lauren Meyers went 1-for-2 and drove in two Salisbury runs.
• Nicole Ortega (13-1) went the distance for SU, allowing just two runs on seven hits and one free pass with four punchouts on 91 pitches.

UMW GAME NOTES

• Hannah Steele went 2-for-4 with a double and scored in the loss.
• Erica Shoop finished 2-for-3 with one RBI.
• Taylor Hudson (1-7) was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks in 3.1 innings of work.

GAME TWO

• Game two was all Sea Gulls. Abby Mace began the bottom of the first with a base knock through the left side, swiping second shortly after. Emily Challender sent a single the other way to score Mace before she, too, stole second base. Meghan Reed traversed the left-field line for a base hit that plated Challender, putting Salisbury up 2-0 with nobody out.
• Natalie Paoli legged out an infield single before a groundout put two in scoring position. Lauren Meyers dropped a friendly pitch in center, scoring Paoli and Reed to put SU in front 4-0 at the first inning's conclusion.
• Jillian Dawson began the second with an infield hit before Mace's second knock moved her up a base and Challender was plunked by her C2C-leading 11th pitch to load the bases. Paoli and Carrie Jacoby each picked up RBI singles before Meyers' second sac fly of the twin bill scored another, building a 7-0 SU lead through two.
• With one away in the sixth, Reed doubled to left and Paoli followed with a base hit and stolen base to put two more Sea Gulls in position to score. After the second out of the frame, Meyers slapped a single to center to score both Reed and Paoli and widen the lead to 9-0.
• A fielding error allowed Emma Coldsnow to reach and pinch-runner Camille Jones to scamper home, pushing the lead to double digits. Sam Flowers doubled to left to plate Coldsnow before another Eagle miscue let Dawson reach and put runners on the corners.
• With Mace due up, head coach Lacey Lord called for a familiar face to pinch hit in 2023 NFCA Division III Player of the Year Lindsey Windsor. Windsor drew a free pass before Lexie Delcollo stepped in to pinch-hit and blooped a base hit to right, advancing to second while Dawson and Flowers came home, giving the maroon and gold a 13-0 lead at the frame's end.
• Madison Taylor tossed up a zero in the fifth to lock down the win, facing four batters and adding a strikeout.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Lauren Meyers finished 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and drove in a game-high five runs.
• Natalie Paoli went 3-for-3 with three singles, scoring twice with one RBI.
• Meghan Reed posted a 2-for-3 effort with a double in game two, scoring twice with one RBI and one stolen base.
• Abby Mace tallied two singles in her three at-bats, stealing one base and scoring twice. Mace entered the twin bill ranked atop all of Division III averaging 1.78 runs scored per contest.
• Lexie Delcollo drove in a pair of runs in her lone at-bat.
• Sydney Adolfson (1-0) earned the win, tossing two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts.

UMW GAME NOTES

• Emily Angel and Emma Schieda were the lone Eagles to tally hits in game two.
• Caitlyn Burch (10-8) was handed the loss, recording four outs while surrendering seven runs on nine hits with one strikeout.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls ship out to Winchester, Va. tomorrow, April 21, for a twin bill against Shenandoah.
• First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Rotary Field.

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.