BANNER ELK, N.C. – UVA Wise softball picked up a doubleheader sweep of nonconference opponent Lees-McRae on the road Sunday afternoon. The Cavaliers edged the Bobcats in a 2-1 game one win and notched a 9-0 shutout in five innings in game two for the Cavs first shutout of the season.
UVA Wise (3-8-1, 0-4 SAC) totaled 16 hits on the day including senior Kailey Huffman's first career grand slam in the second game of the doubleheader.
Freshman Jenna McDermott recorded the Cavs first hit of the day on a one-out double in the top of the first before advancing on the throw. A fielder's choice put freshman Kara Long on base as McDermott was put out. After reaching second on a passed ball, Long scored on the next at-bat as senior Kaylee Jones sent a single to left field to give the Cavs a 1-0 lead.
Lees-McRae registered three hits through the first two frames but left four on base as UVA Wise extended its lead in the top of the third on a Long single to left to plate freshman Sarah Barrett for a 2-0 advantage.
The Bobcats tallied their first run of the day in the home half of the fifth to cut into the Cavs lead. Mallory Myers leadoff single followed by a one-out double down the left field line by Sarah Beth Thomas put Lees-McRae in position to score. Morgan Crowe's RBI groundout scored Myers to cut the margin, 2-1 into the sixth.
UVA Wise recorded two more hits across the final two frames as the Cavs held off the Bobcats for the game one victory.
Senior Alexis Miles led the Cavs with a pair of hits. Senior pitcher Raychel Lapallo (1-4) scattered six hits and struck out five across seven innings of work.
The Bobcat's Charlsy Traylor (0-6) suffered the loss as she allowed seven hits and struck out seven in a complete game effort.
McDermott posted the first hit of the contest once again in game two as she knocked a single to left field and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Nothing would come of it as the Cavs and Bobcats remained scoreless through the first three frames.
Jones led the fourth inning with a double down the left field line with Barrett scoring the first baseman on a one-out single to right center. Back-to-back singles by sophomore pitcher McKenna Falwell and senior third baseman Casey Chambers loaded the bases for UVA Wise. With two outs, Huffman belted a grand slam to left center to give UVA Wise a 5-0 lead to end the top of the inning.
UVA Wise scored four more an inning later to put the Cavs in run-rule territory. Barrett knocked a two-out single to left field to score Miles and McDermott before advancing to second on the throw. Another hit by Falwell scored Barrett with a Lees-McRae error putting Falwell on third base. Chambers' sacrifice fly to left field drove in Falwell for an unearned run to extend the margin to as the Cavs secured the game two victory.
Barrett finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two hits and three RBI. Falwell improved to 2-3 with the win as she twirled a two-hitter and fanned a season-high 10 in the win.
Lees-McRae's Raygan Rensing fell to 3-5 on the year as she gave up five runs and struck out three in four innings.
Softball returns to Wise to host Newberry College Tuesday afternoon for the Cavs home opener. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m. at Cavalier Field.
