GLENVILLE, W.Va. – UVa-Wise softball swept host Glenville State in a Mountain East Conference road doubleheader Friday afternoon. The Cavaliers (13-12, 3-1 MEC) defeated the Lady Pioneers (3-16, 0-4) 8-1 in game one of the day before claiming game two, 8-2.
 
UVa-Wise was not short of offense Friday as the Cavs tallied a total of 26 hits in the two games and scored 16 runs. The Cavs got 14 hits in game one alone and used a five-run fifth inning to put the game out of reach.
 
Glenville State scored the first run of the game and took an early 1-0 lead in the doubleheader opener after Erica Damone scored an unearned run on a Mackenzie Smith sacrifice fly to right field in the home portion of the first.
 
A triple by sophomore catcher Bridget Henzel (Toano, Va.) brought home freshman right-handed pitcher Delany Turner (Leesburg, Va.) in the top of the third tied the score up at 1-1 before freshman left fielder Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.) hit a RBI single, allowing Henzel to score.
 
The Cavs opened up the game in the top of the fifth after sophomore shortstop Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.) first scored an unearned run on another single by Bennett. Junior third baseman Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.) hit her second grand slam of the season later in the inning, homering over the center field wall to bring in Bennett, Henzel and Turner, who had all reached on singles. The four-run blast gave the visiting Cavs a 7-1 lead.
 
Cleary would then score the final run of the game in the top of the seventh to give UVa-Wise the 8-1 win.
 
Turner gave up just five hits and zero earned runs in seven innings, striking out six batters to claim the win and improve to 5-3 on the season. Bennett led the Cavs with three hits in four at bats, claiming two RBI and scoring once.
 
Samantha Weaver took the loss for the Lady Pioneers after four and one-third innings in the circle.
 
Game two of the day proved to be similar to game one with the Cavs collecting 12 hits and scoring seven combined runs in the fourth and fifth innings to earn the victory.
 
After both teams were scoreless through the first three innings, UVa-Wise took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth. A double to left field by freshman catcher Lucindy Lawson (Duffield, Va.) brought redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) across home, before both Lawson and sophomore right fielder Zoe Millard (Glen Allen, Va.) scored on a single hit by senior designated player Mindy Combs (Lebanon, Va.).
 
UVa-Wise would build its lead to 7-0 in the top of the fifth when Brandts hit a three-run homer over the center field wall, bringing in Cleary and senior first baseman Erika McLaughlin (Haymarket, Va.). Millard got the fourth run of the inning with another Combs RBI single.
 
Both the Cavs and the Lady Pioneers scored in the final inning of the game as Brandts hit her second home run of the game, this time a solo shot over the center field wall to give UVa-Wise its largest advantage of the day at 8-0.
 
Glenville State was only able to manage two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh after an error by Cleary. The Lady Pioneers' got runs from McKenzie Edmonds after a Weaver single and Charity Ramsey after Damone was walked before the Cavs closed out the game on a fly out to left field.
 
Much like Turner's performance in game one of the day, Brandts only gave up four hits and zero earned runs in game two. Brandts struck out five batters and went the distance for the Cavs to earn the win and improve to 5-3 on the year. The redshirt sophomore also led the Cavs at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and two home runs.
 
Ally Brown took the loss for the Lady Pioneers in game two after four and two-third innings in the circle.
 
The Cavs will wrap up their 10-game stretch of games played away from home Saturday when UVa-Wise takes on West Virginia Wesleyan in Buckhannon, West Virginia, for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
 
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