WISE, Va. – Junior right-hander Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) pitched her second no-hitter of the weekend and junior third baseman Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.) hit two home runs as the UVa-Wise softball team swept Fairmont State University Saturday afternoon at Cavalier Field. The Cavaliers (23-15, 14-8 MEC) took both games of the Mountain East Conference doubleheader in run-rule fashion, winning game one 8-0 in five innings and game two 9-1 in six innings.
 
UVa-Wise showed no shortage of offense, lining 21 total hits on the afternoon, scoring 17 times and knocking out three home runs. The Cavs held the visiting Fighting Falcons (14-24, 7-13 MEC) to just one run on the day and seven hits. Taylor Brandts' second straight no-hitter is the third of the season for the UVa-Wise pitching staff as Taylor has now tossed seven consecutive complete game shutouts (47 innings). She becomes one of less than 10 pitchers in all of NCAA Division II to throw multiple no-hitters this season.
 
Tallying 11 hits in the first game of the afternoon, the Cavs were aided by three Fairmont State errors that led to four unearned runs. A single by senior first baseman Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.) through the left side and a fielding error on the play allowed senior designated player Alexa Hernandez (Woodbridge, Va.) to score an unearned run from second base in the bottom of the first. UVa-Wise then tacked on another run in the third when Hernandez hit a RBI double down the left field line for junior right fielder Zoe Millard (Glen Allen, Va.) to reach home plate.
 
After an inning and a half of scoreless play, the Cavs scored three times in both the fourth and fifth frames. A RBI single through the right side in the fourth by sophomore center fielder Ava Hockey (Virginia Beach, Va.) brought in freshman second baseman Alexis Sheehan (King George, Va.), while another Fighting Falcons fielding error on the single allowed freshman shortstop Nikki Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) to score an unearned run. Before the inning concluded, Millard singled up the middle for a RBI to bring home Hockey.
 
With bases loaded in the fifth, Smith reached on a fielding error as Cleary scored unearned from third. Hockey then collected her second RBI of the day when she singled through the left side for Sheehan to score her second run of the game. UVa-Wise got its eighth and final run of the contest on a RBI walk-off single by Millard that allowed sophomore right fielder Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.) to come home.
 
Millard finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored, while Hernandez, Sheehan and Hockey each went 2-for-3. Taylor Brandts (14-5) struck out six in the five innings and was one hit batter away from a perfect game after no walks. Fairmont State's Hannah Absalom took the loss for the Fighting Falcons after four innings of work and two strikeouts.
 
The Cavs registered 10 hits in game two and crossed home plate nine times as Fairmont State collected seven hits and scored an unearned run. UVa-Wise totaled four runs in the bottom of the first inning alone after a pair of homers. Junior catcher Bridget Henzel (Toano, Va.) recorded her team-leading sixth home run of the season when she cleared the center field fence for a pair of RBI, scoring Hernandez. On the very next pitch, Ely knocked out her third home run of the season over left field to give the Cavs a 3-0 lead. Bennett then singled to right field for an RBI, allowing Cleary to score.
 
A sacrifice fly to center field by Cleary brought in Millard in the bottom of the second, giving UVa-Wise a commanding 5-0 advantage. The Cavs got another run in the fourth when Ely singled to left center field for her third RBI of the afternoon and brought home Millard for her third run of the day.
 
The Fighting Falcons lone run of the afternoon came in the top of the fifth when the UVa-Wise defense thought the third out had been recorded in the inning on a ground out. The Cavs' miscue allowed Fairmont State first baseman Abbi Fetty to reach home all the way from first as UVa-Wise prematurely cleared the field.
 
The game would quickly come to an end in the bottom of the sixth when Ely connected on a three-run walk-off homer over the center field fence. Ely's second home run of day and fourth of the season scored Hernandez and Henzel to give the Cavs the 9-1, run-rule victory.
 
Millard finished the contest with an impressive 4-for-4 performance, while Ely went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI and two runs scored. Henzel tallied two RBI and scored twice as Hernandez registered two runs.
 
Freshman right-hander Raychel Lapallo (North Chesterfield, Va.) picked up the complete game win inside the circle after punching seven strikeouts, improving her season record to 4-6. The Fighting Falcons' Absalom (5-11) took the loss for Fairmont State after tossing four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work.
 
The Cavs will have one week off from competition before returning to game action next Saturday, April 22, when UVa-Wise welcomes Urbana University to Cavalier Field. First pitch of the doubleheader against the Blue Knights is slated for 2 p.m.
 
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