WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Junior
Janel Gamache posted two hits and threw three innings of no-hit relief as UNCW completed a sweep of its three-game Colonial Athletic Association softball series against the College of Charleston with a 6-5 victory at Boseman Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Seahawks, who won for the fourth time in the last six games, upped their record to 6-13 overall and 3-0 in the CAA. Charleston dropped to 3-17 overall and 0-3 in the league after suffering its seventh consecutive loss.
Charleston took a 2-0 lead in the first inning as freshman Aniz Roman drove in a run with a double to center field before scoring on an error by the Seahawks.
Junior
Jada Santiago trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the frame when she drove in Gamache with a single to center field. But, Charleston answered with three runs to take a 5-1 lead, scoring a single marker in the second inning before a two-run double by junior Noel Dominguez in the third inning.
UNCW responded in the bottom of the fourth inning by scoring five runs on three hits while taking advantage of two Charleston errors for a 6-5 lead. After junior
Logan Bjorson brought home a run with a fielder's choice, junior
Gabriella Hessenthaler plated a run with a bases-loaded walk.
Freshman pinch hitter
Charlotte Schultheis tied the game when she reached on a fielding error that scored two runs before Gamache's infield single brought home the go-ahead run.
From there, Gamache nailed down the victory in the circle by not allowing a hit over the final three innings with five strikeouts to secure her second save of the season.
Bjorson improved to 3-0 in the circle after giving up two runs on three hits over 2.2 innings in relief of sophomore
Amberlyn Pearce, who conceded three runs, including one earned run, on three hits over 1.1 innings of work.
Sophomore Payton Lemire took the loss for Charleston after giving up the go-ahead run in the fourth inning. She pitched 2.1 innings and allowed just one hit with a strikeout and a walk.
Notes of Interest: UNCW earned its first three-game CAA series sweep since May 4-5, 2018, against Charleston … The Seahawks are now 12-5 in the last 17 meetings against the Cougars, but still trail the all-time series by a 29-24 margin … The teams combined to go 15-for-29 in advancement opportunities … Charleston had its leadoff hitter reach base in 4-of-7 trips to the plate … The teams combined for six errors and left nine runners on base … Santiago has hit safely in eight straight games after her 1-for-3 effort in the finale … She has also reached base safely in 10 consecutive games … Gamache authored her sixth multi-hit game of the season … Sophomore
Skylar Stockton posted the first triple of her career in the fourth inning.
Up Next: UNCW visits Elon for a three-game CAA series next weekend. The Seahawks and Phoenix open the set with a single game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Apr. 3, before closing the weekend with a doubleheader on Sunday, Apr. 4, at 1 p.m.
