ATHENS, W.Va. – UVa-Wise softball split a pair of Mountain East Conference road games Tuesday afternoon at Concord University. The Cavaliers (25-24, 15-13 MEC) earned a 9-0 shutout in five innings in game one of the doubleheader, before the host Mountain Lions (27-19, 16-12 MEC) defeated UVa-Wise 9-8 in game two after a walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
With UVa-Wise and Concord being separated by just one game in the MEC standings, the two-game series was pivotal for both teams. The Cavs jumped on the Mountain Lions early in game one and never let up as redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) held Concord to just one hit. UVa-Wise was efficient with its offense as well, scoring nine runs with seven hits in three innings.
 
Following four walks in the opening inning, sophomore third baseman Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.) scored to give the Cavs a 1-0 lead. A double to center field by junior first baseman Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.) scored two more runs as sophomore catcher Bridget Henzel (Toano, Va.) and freshman left fielder Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.) reached home to make the score 3-0 in the first.
 
The Cavs then scored four runs in the second to increase their advantage to 7-0 after only an inning and a half of play. Senior designated player Mindy Combs got a ground-rule double for an RBI, scoring freshman center fielder Ava Hockey (Virginia Beach, Va.) before Henzel hit an RBI single to right field to bring in Ely. A single up the middle by senior shortstop Erika McLaughlin (Haymarket, Va.) was good enough for two RBI as Henzel and Combs each scored.
 
The Cavs last two scores of the game came in the top of the third when Ely hit a two-run shot over the left center field wall for her team-leading eighth home run of the season. UVa-Wise did not let the Mountain Lions score over the next two and a half innings to secure the 9-0 victory in only five innings of play.
 
Tossing all five innings, Brandts struck out two batters and earned the win for the Cavs to improve to 14-8 on the year. Abby Beatty took the loss for Concord after five innings of work, dropping her season mark to 7-2.
 
Henzel finished game one going 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI, while Cleary went 2-for-2 and batted two runs in. McLaughlin and Ely were each 1-for-2 in the game as McLaughlin tallied three RBI and Ely scored three times.
 
With the score being tied four times throughout the contest, UVa-Wise and Concord combined for 16 hits in game two of the day. Knotted up at 8-8 going into the bottom of the seventh, Concord got a walk-off unearned run after a Cavalier error.
 
Much like game one, the Cavs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after a pair of unearned runs. Senior second baseman Alexa Hernandez (Woodbridge, Va.) scored a run off of a Mountain Lion error and Bennett hit an RBI single to right field for Ely to reach home.
 
A four-run second inning by Concord gave the home team a 4-2 lead. The Mountain Lions' Lauren Blunt Doubled to left center field for two RBI before scoring on a wild pitch, and Kristi Benvenuto scored when Lauren Lewis singled through the right side.
 
The Cavs retook the lead in the top of the third when freshman catcher Lucindy Lawson (Duffield, Va.) hit a three-run bomb over the right center field fence. UVa-Wise's lead was short lived as the Mountain Lions got an RBI single from Courtney Purtell and two-run homer from Blunt in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-5 lead.
 
Two runs by the Cavs in the visiting portion of the fifth tied up the count at 7-7 before UVa-Wise got a run in the sixth to retake the lead once again. Cleary hit a two-run shot over the left field fence in the fifth while Bennett singled through the right side for an RBI in the sixth, allowing Hernandez to score.
 
A solo home run by Concord's Alyssa Morris in the bottom of the sixth tied up the score one final time at 8-8 before the Mountain Lions got the walk-off run in the seventh when Kristen Rose scored, unearned.
 
Rose earned the win for Concord, tossing a complete game and striking out two to improve her season record to 2-1. Junior right-handed pitcher Emily Kale took the loss for UVa-Wise after 3 1/3 innings of work, dropping her record to 4-9 on the year.
 
Bennett led the Cavs in game two with a 3-for-3 performance that included two RBI and two runs scored. Cleary went 2-for-3 at the plate, scored twice and had two RBI.
 
Rose and Blunt led the Mountain Lions in the second game as Rose went 2-for-2 and scored three times, while Blunt went 2-for-3, knocked in four runs and scored twice.
 
The Cavs will now return home for their final two doubleheaders of the regular season. UVa-Wise will host West Virginia Wesleyan Saturday for "Armed Forces Day" before facing Glenville State Sunday on senior day. Both doubleheaders are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. A Cavalier softball alumnae cookout will follow Sunday's senior day, all former UVa-Wise softball players are invited to join in the celebration and fellowship.
 
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