WISE, VA — UVA Wise pieced together a 21-hit, 23-run day to finish off the 2022 regular season in their sweep against the Mars Hill Lions on Saturday, April 23.

GAME 1

The UVA Wise Cavaliers (18-18, 10-14 SAC) throttled starting Mars Hill Lions (6-32, 3-21 SAC)' pitcher Kayla Gallagher early in the first inning as Kara Long cleaned up shop with a two-run single up the middle. Three walks and a hot bat from Mady Buchanan aided the Cavs with three more runs to put their squad at a 5-0 advantage before Mars Hill could escape the inning. 

In the top of the second, Sydney Craig of the Lions hit a solo shot over the center field fence to lead off the inning, and snagged their only run of the contest. Although the Lions put together three hits in the inning, McKenna Falwell worked two back-to-back pop-ups and a strikeout to get the Cavs out of the jam.

UVA Wise slammed their foot on the gas in the bottom of the second, as Jenna McDermott led the effort with a single to left field. 

Three consecutive walks from Gallagher brought in a freebie run for the Cavs and forced Mars Hill to a pitching change. UVA Wise found no trouble with the new arm as a sacrifice fly from Kaylee Jones and another RBI from Alexis Miles put two more on the board before the Lions squeezed out of the inning. 

After a stretch of an unproductive four innings, Sarah Barrett finalized the game with a home run to right field to put the final score at 9-1.

Falwell grabbed the win in the circle, putting her final record of the 2022 regular season at 10-8.

Barrett led Game 1 with three hits and an RBI.

GAME 2

It would be Mars Hill to reach the scoreboard first as an early Cavalier error and a passed ball allowed a sacrifice fly to score a run. Sydney Collins quickly ended the inning in the circle by forcing two consecutive pop-ups and a strikeout.

Gallagher was the starting pitcher once again for the Lions, and walked leadoff batter McDermott. A Barrett double and two more walks gave way for an easy Cavalier run to score before Deja Smith came in to relieve Gallagher.

Once again, the Cavaliers took advantage of the pitching change as Buchanan drilled a home run to swipe the Cavs off the bases. McDermott found her way into the batter's box once again in the same inning and doubled to left field, and a Mars Hill error brought her home. Before Smith could get her team in to hit, UVA Wise had mustered up an 8-0 advantage.

Mars Hill still had fight left in the top of the second, as Zoie Pistel led her team with a double to left. A passed ball brought her to third, and a grounder to second base allowed the Lions to get another run before Collins shut them down.

Bats stayed silent from then on for both sides until a Barrett double in the bottom of the third sparked a five-run inning for the Cavaliers. 

In the top of the fourth, a two-hit, two-run inning inched Mars Hill closer to the Cavs as they found themselves down nine; but a quick RBI from Long insured a 10-run lead in the bottom of the inning. 

The Cavs would finish off the game with a 10-run advantage in four-and-a-half innings with Collins grabbing the win. Collins would end the regular season with an 8-7 record. 

Barrett once again led her team offensively with three hits — two of them being doubles. 

The UVA Wise Cavaliers finished the regular season with a 10-14 conference record, and 18-18 overall.