WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise softball split a pair of Mountain East Conference home games Monday afternoon against the University of Charleston at Cavalier Field. The Cavaliers (10-8, 3-1 MEC) took game one 8-6 in a high-scoring affair before falling 6-3 in the second game of the day. There was no shortage of power hitting in the doubleheader as the two teams combined for eight total home runs, each knocking four out of the park. The visiting Golden Eagles (11-8, 3-1 MEC) collected 16 hits in the two games while UVa-Wise made 12 of its own.
 
Both teams started off hot at the plate in game one as six total runs were scored in the first inning. Charleston catcher Haleigh Christopher, who is the reigning MEC Player of the Week, got the Golden Eagles on the board first with a two-run homer over the left field fence. Her blast scoring center fielder Rachelle Toppings and giving Charleston an early 2-0 lead. The Cavs responded in the bottom of the inning with their first grand slam of the season. Junior catcher Bridget Henzel (Toano, Va.) hit her first home run of the season, a grand slam over left center field that scored junior pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.), senior second baseman Alexa Hernandez (Woodbridge, Va.) and sophomore left fielder Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.).
 
Leading 4-2 after Henzel's grand slam, UVa-Wise saw the Golden Eagles collect two more runs in the top of the second. Designated player Bailey Gogia hit a solo home run over center field before third baseman Karli Pinkerton singled to second base for an RBI, allowing left fielder Alyssa Stanley to reach home. The Cavs picked up another run in the bottom of the third, breaking the 4-4 tie as Taylor Brandts got her second home run of the season on a solo shot over the left center field fence.
 
Charleston retook the lead at 6-5 in the top of the fourth when shortstop Monica Carter singled up the middle for a pair of RBI, bringing in right fielder Natalie Beck and second basemen Ansley Warner. UVa-Wise got two on in the bottom of the inning but was unable to score, before tallying three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for the final time.
 
Senior first baseman Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.) smacked her third homer of the season with two outs in the fifth. Her go-ahead, three-run dinger over center field brought home two others as Henzel and Taylor Brandts scored. Senior right-handed pitcher Emily Kale (Shelby, N.C.) retired three straight batters in the top of the sixth and struck out one in the seventh to clinch the Cavs' win. She retired nine out of the final 10 batters faced and gave up just one hit in the last three innings of the game.
 
Taylor Brandts and freshman shortstop Nikki Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) each went 2-for-2 at the plate in game one as Brandts scored three times and had an RBI. Henzel went 1-for-2 with four RBI and two runs scored, while Cleary finished 1-for-2 with three RBI and a run.
 
Kale (1-0) got the game one win, her first decision of the season, after five innings of work in relief. The Golden Eagles Jessie Rowe (6-3) took the loss for Charleston after tossing the final three innings of the contest and giving up six of UVa-Wise's 10 hits.
 
The Cavs struggled offensively in the second game of the afternoon despite another strong start. UVa-Wise was only able to record two hits, both coming in the first inning, and left six runners stranded.
 
The Golden Eagles wasted no time in scoring as Carter hit a two-out solo homer over the center field fence in the top of the first, giving Charleston a 1-0 advantage. The Cavs got a single from junior right fielder Zoe Millard (Glen Allen, Va.) to begin the bottom of the frame before junior third baseman Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.) registered her first homer of the season and UVa-Wise's ninth. Ely's bomb was scored three runs as Millard and Bennett reached home to give the Cavs a 3-1 lead.
 
The two teams would remain scoreless for the following two innings before the Golden Eagles made it a one-run game in the top of the fourth. Christopher knocked out her second home run of the game over left field on the first pitch of the fourth inning to make it 3-2. UVa-Wise left a runner on in both the bottom of the fourth and fifth before Charleston got three runs in the top of the sixth. The Golden Eagles' first baseman Laura Ashlock doubled to right field for two RBI, scoring pinch runner Siarra Harrington and Carter. Later in the inning Stanley singled through the left side, allowing pinch runner Logan Walkosz to reach home and give Charleston a 5-3 lead.
 
The Cavs got two on in the bottom of the sixth due to hit by pitches but left two runners stranded, before the Golden Eagles tacked on another run in the seventh. A sacrifice fly by Carter brought in Charleston's Toppings in the top of the seventh to give the visitors a 6-3 advantage. The Golden Eagles' Rowe retired three consecutive UVa-Wise batters in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
 
Carter finished the contest 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored, while Ashlock went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Rowe (7-3) didn't give up a hit and struck out one in 5 2/3 innings of relief work to collect the win inside the circle.
 
Freshman right-hander Raychel Lapallo (North Chesterfield, Va.) pitched 6 1/3 innings and gave up all eight of Charleston's hits to take the loss for the Cavs, dropping her season mark to 3-5.
 
The Cavs continue their 10-game homestand but will step out of league play Thursday, March 23, when UVa-Wise hosts Bluefield State College for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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