WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Sophomore Rachel Willis and senior Merritt Wilkinson each collected three hits and combined to score five runs as UNCW opened its home schedule with a pair of victories as part of the Hampton Inn University Area Seahawk Softball Classic at Boseman Field on Friday afternoon.

The Seahawks, who upped their record to 5-1 on the season, defeated UMBC by a 7-1 margin in their first game before shutting out North Texas by a 5-0 count in the nightcap.

Willis went 3-for-5 in the pair of wins with a double and two runs scored while driving in a run. Meanwhile, Wilkinson contributed a 3-for-7 showing at the plate with a double and a home run. She also scored three times with a pair of runs batted in.
  Junior Sarah Davis earned the win in the circle in the opener against UMBC, allowing just one hit in four innings with four strikeouts. Senior Peyton Jordan improved to 2-1 on the season after scattering three hits over six innings against North Texas with seven strikeouts.  

How It Happened – UMBC: The Seahawks surged to a 6-0 lead in the first four innings, including a four-run outburst in the opening frame. Sophomore Hannah Adamczyk singled home a pair of runs in the first inning before senior Nella Chamblee blasted her first home run of the season, a two-run shot with no outs in the first inning.   

How It Happened – North Texas: The Seahawks scored all five of their runs in the fourth and fifth innings to earn the victory. UNCW tallied three runs in the fourth inning before Wilkinson upped the advantage to 5-0 with her second home run of the season, a two-run shot to right center field in the fifth frame.  

Coach Kristy Norton Says: "We were able to get a lot of hitters some at-bats because our offense jumped out early in game one. A little experience for everyone will just make us better. Game two was the most competitive game we have played this year from start to finish. Timely hitting from Lacey Fox and heads-up base running really put us in a good position to gain momentum against North Texas."

Inside the Box Scores: The Seahawks limited UMBC and North Texas to a combined .126 batting average with just six hits … UNCW also recorded 17 strikeouts in the sweep with only seven walks … The Seahawks were 10-for-25 in advancement opportunities and 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position … UNCW pitchers induced 15 ground ball outs in the two wins to just eight fly ball outs … UNCW leadoff hitters reached base in 6-of-12 opportunities.

#SeahawkStats: UNCW and North Texas met for the first time ever in softball … The Seahawks have had six different players account for the team's seven home runs this season … UNCW posted its first shutout victory since blanking Elon, 2-0, on Apr. 23, 2016 … The Seahawks have allowed two or fewer runs in four of their first six contests, posting a 3-1 mark in those instances … UNCW has won four straight home games, dating back to last season … Willis has hit safely in all six of the Seahawks' games this season … In addition, Willis, Chamblee and Adamczyk have reached base safely in all six outings.

Up Next for UNCW: The Seahawks continue play at the Hampton Inn University Area Seahawk Softball Classic on Saturday with a pair of games. UNCW hosts UMBC at 10 a.m., followed by a 12:30 p.m. contest against Appalachian State.

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