WILMINGTON, N.C. – The UNCW softball team continued to roll in Colonial Athletic Association play, sweeping a two-game doubleheader against Delaware on Saturday afternoon at Boseman Field.

The Seahawks, 20-4 (2-0 CAA), won their third straight game and will attempt to sweep the Blue Hens, 16-10 (0-2 CAA), in Sunday's series finale at noon. UNCW bested Delaware, 5-3, in the first game followed by a 4-0 shutout victory in the afternoon game.

Game 1 | UNCW 5, Delaware 3

Freshman Emily Winstead (6-2) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of the Seahawks' first conference victory of the season.

With the game scoreless, right fielder Morgan Britt began the bottom of the fourth with a single to centerfield. Anna Knox then reached on a hit-by-pitch to put two on with no outs.

Shortstop Mary Sobataka tried to bunt the runners over but the throw to first soared into right field, allowing Britt and Knox to score as Sobataka took third on the errant throw.

Left fielder Arial Pearce followed with a single through the left side that plated Sobataka to cap the three-run frame.

UNCW added two insurance runs in the fifth when Britt laced an RBI single up the middle that scored Tayler Vitola, who started the inning with a single to right-center. Another run scored when Knox bunted home Elizabeth Winstead from third to give the Seahawks a five-run advantage.

The extra runs proved helpful when Winstead lost her no-hit bid in the sixth inning. Blue Hens hitters Julz Garber and Sarah Bessel notched back-to-back singles to start the frame when lead-off hitter Hanna Garber, the CAA's hits leader, hit her sixth home run of the year to cut the deficit to 5-3.

In the seventh, Winstead retired the first two batters when Julz Garber flipped a 1-2 count into an infield single to keep the Blue Hens alive. Bessel then walked on four-straight pitches and the Seahawks called on junior Amberlyn Pearce to close it out.

With two runners on, Pearce induced a game-ending groundout to second to preserve the win and earn her second save of the season.

Game 2 | UNCW 4, Delaware 0

Much of the game featured a pair of the CAA's top freshman arms trading scoreless frames in UNCW's Kara Hammock and Delaware's Graceyn Frost before the Seahawks added the first run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Freshman Arial Pearce led off the frame with a double that bounced off the wall in left-center. Delaware left fielder played the ball off the wall and turned to attempt to throw Pearce out at second when she sipped, causing the throw to go into centerfield.

Pearce sped around the bases and was well ahead of a last-ditch throw from the outfield to plate the run for the Seahawks.

In the sixth inning, catcher Jentri Meadows and second baseman Tayler Vitola reached base on a single and walk that brought first baseman Janel Gamache to the plate.

Meadows was pinch ran for by Tayler Smith, who executed a double-steal with Vitola to place two runner's in scoring position with none out. Gamache then slapped a two-run RBI single up the middle to bring her pump her season RBI total up to 26.

Senior Jada Santiago, making her first start of the season as the designated player, followed with a bloop single into shallow left field that advanced Gamache to third.

Two batters later, Knox attempted a suicide squeeze that nailed Gamache at the plate. Knox took second on the play, but the throw to second allowed Santiago to race around the bases and score to make it, 4-0.

Hammock (7-2) needed only 74 pitches to pitch her fourth shutout of the season and lowered her season ERA to 2.55. The right-hander allowed two hits in the effort.