MOUNT PLEASANT, South Carolina – Junior
Janel Gamache registered three hits, including a pair of doubles, and scored two runs as UNCW completed a sweep of its Colonial Athletic Association softball series against the College of Charleston with a 6-0 victory over the Cougars at Patriots Point on Sunday afternoon.
The Seahawks, who have won four games in a row, upped their record to 12-18 and 7-5 in the CAA. Charleston, meanwhile, dipped to 6-29 overall and 0-12 in the circuit.
Junior
Gabriella Hessenthaler gave the Seahawks a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when she hit the first home run of her college career, an inside-the-park shot to left field.
UNCW increased the advantage to 4-0 in the fifth inning by plating three runs. Freshman
Tayler Vitola brought in a run on an infield single and throwing error before scoring on a Gamache double. Junior
Logan Bjorson drove in Gamache two batters later with a single to center field, making it a four-run lead.
The Seahawks added an insurance run in the sixth inning when junior
Camryn Dean scored on a wild pitch before completing the scoring with an RBI single in the seventh by sophomore
Jentri Meadows.
Gamache, who also threw the final 2.0 innings in the victory, anchored the Seahawks' 11-hit attack by going 3-for-4 for her second three-hit effort of the series. Vitola and Bjorson each added a two-hit performance.
Graduate student
Rylee Pate moved to 2-7 on the season after surrendering just three hits in 5.0 innings while matching her season high with six strikeouts.
Freshman
Lauren Sandor (2-5) suffered the loss for Charleston. She conceded one run on three hits over 2.1 innings with two strikeouts.
Notes of Interest: UNCW won all six games against Charleston in the regular season series … In addition to this weekend's sweep, the Seahawks took all three games against the Cougars in Wilmington on Mar. 27-28 … Hessenthaler hit the Seahawks' first inside-the-park home run since Mar. 28, 2018, when
Kali Jones did it at South Carolina State in the second game of a doubleheader … Hessenthaler has also reached base safely in six consecutive games … UNCW has authored back-to-back shutouts for the first time since a string of three straight shutouts on Mar. 16-19, 2019 … Vitola has now hit safely in six consecutive games after her two-hit performance … She also posted her team-leading 12th multi-hit game of the season … UNCW hit .326 in the weekend series against Charleston with 30 hits, including 10 extra-base hits, with 16 runs scored … The Seahawks' four-game win streak is the team's longest streak since winning six straight games from Mar. 16-23, 2019.
Up Next: UNCW returns home on Wednesday, Apr. 21, to host North Carolina A&T in a single game at 4 p.m.
