Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GREENVILLE, Tenn. – UVa-Wise softball defeated Goldey-Beacom College 6-4 before taking down Ursuline College 11-1 in six innings Saturday at Tusculum College's Pioneer Classic in Greenville, Tennessee. The Cavaliers improve to 5-0 on the early season after the two wins.
 
The Cavs bats were hot Saturday as UVa-Wise made 16 hits in the win over the Lightning (1-1) and followed up that performance with 13 hits in the victory over the Arrows (2-3).
 
In game one against Goldey-Beacom, a RBI single by senior second baseman Alexa Hernandez (Woodbridge, Va.) brought in sophomore center fielder Zoe Millard (Glen Allen, Va.) to give the Cavs a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Goldey-Beacom tied up the score at 1-1 in the opening inning after a dropped fly ball by freshman left fielder Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.).
 
A three-run second inning gave the Cavs a 4-1 lead after a RBI single by senior designated player Mindy Combs (Lebanon, Va.) brought home sophomore catcher Bridget Henzel (Toano, Va.) and a two RBI single by senior shortstop Erika McLaughlin (Haymarket, Va.) allowed Bennett and Millard to score.
 
The Lightning got three runs in the bottom of the fourth to knot the score up at 4-4 with Shelby Murphy scoring as Kylie Doyle hit a single to left field, Ashleigh Cavanaugh scoring on a wild pitch and Doyle then scoring on a Rachel Davis RBI single up the middle.
 
UVa-Wise got a run in each the top of the fifth and sixth and two runs in the seventh to secure the 9-4 win.
 
Millard singled down the left field line to bring home sophomore third baseman Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.) in the fifth and McLaughlin scored on a fielding error by the Lightning's Davis in the sixth.
 
Combs doubled to center field in the seventh, allowing both Millard and Henzel to reach home plate before Ely was walked with the bases loaded to bring in freshman right fielder Ava Hockey (Virginia Beach, Va.).
 
In her first game since the 2013-14 season starting redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) earned the win for the Cavs in four innings of work, while freshman right-handed pitcher Delany Turner (Leesburg, Va.) earned the save. Goldey-Beacom's Natalie Mickles took the loss for the Lightning in four and a third inning pitched.
 
Millard led the Cavs at the plate with four hits, a RBI and three runs scored.
 
In game two of the day against Ursuline, the Cavs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in top of the first as Millard scored on a McLaughlin double to center field, Bennett on a single by junior right-handed pitcher Emily Kale (Shelby, N.C.) and McLaughlin on error by the Arrows' Alison Porter.
 
Ursuline's lone run of the game came in the bottom of the first as Bridgitte Snow made it home on a passed ball.
 
The Cavs got two more runs in the second after Combs doubled to right field to allow Bennett to score and McLaughlin singled down the left field line in order for Combs to reach home. UVa-Wise got three runs in the third with Kale scoring on a passed ball, Ely on a Hockey single up the middle and freshman catcher Lucindy Lawson on a Bennett single to left center field.
 
Leading 8-1 heading into the sixth, UVa-Wise tacked on three runs that started with McLaughlin scoring on a wild pitch. Lawson hit her second home run of the season over the left center field wall for two RBI as she brought home Ely who was on second. The Cavs only allowed one hit in the bottom of the inning and finished the sixth with a 1-6-3 double play. Ahead by 10, the Cavs did not have to play the seventh inning due to the run-rule (eight or more after five innings).
 
Kale threw a complete game to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year, while Ursline's Brittany Humbel took the loss to drop to 1-2 on the season.
 
Lawson and McLaughlin led the Cavs on the bats as Lawson got the two-run homer and McLaughlin finished with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Bennett and Combs each hit a double.
 
The Cavs will now return to play Thursday when they travel back down to Greenville, Tennessee, for a doubleheader at Tusculum College starting at 3 p.m.
 
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