WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Sterling pitching performances by freshmen Emily Winstead and Kara Hammock paved the way for UNCW as the Seahawks clinched a softball series win over Charleston on Saturday at Boseman Field.

The Seahawks improved to 27-10 overall and 9-5 in Colonial Athletic Association action by taking both games of a doubleheader. UNCW followed up a 1-0 victory in Game 1 with a 4-2 triumph in the afternoon capper over the Cougars, who fell to 9-34 this season and 3-10 in the circuit.

The two coastal rivals complete the three-game set with a Sunday matinee at noon on FloSoftball.

GAME 1 | UNCW 1, Charleston 0

Winstead (10-3) celebrated her 18th birthday by matching a season-high 13 strikeouts against the Cougars. The 5-8 right-hander scattered two hits for her second shutout and seventh complete game this year.

The Bunn, N.C., product posted her fourth double-digit strikeout effort and is five strikeouts away from matching Casey Rowland's freshman record of 139 punchouts in a season.

Charleston countered with junior Carli McCants (3-9), who fanned eight batters over six innings. Both teams combined for five hits in the opener.

Junior Jentri Meadows scored the game's lone run in the bottom of the fourth inning when she laced a double down the leftfield line that scored Elizabeth Winstead from first. Winstead worked a full-count walk to reach base with two outs a batter earlier.

The Cougars threatened in the top of the seventh with the tying and go-ahead runs on base with two outs after Winstead issued a pair of walks to Kayla Gutierrez and Jenna Carter. Following a brief mound visit, Winstead induced a fly out from Noel Dominguez in foul territory to her sister, Elizabeth, to claim the rubber match.

GAME 2 | UNCW 4, Charleston 2

Hammock (10-3) was equally spectacular in the afternoon contest. The 6-2 freshman also fired her seventh complete game on 98 pitches, allowing four hits and two runs for the Seahawks, who secured their fourth conference series win.

The Seahawks jumped in front early, courtesy of three straight two-out singles by Mackenzie Amodeo, Elizabeth Winstead, and Mary Sobataka. With the bases jammed, Amodeo advanced home on a wild pitch to plate the game's first run.

The Cougars evened the score a half-inning later when pitcher Payton Lemire, in her first at-bat of the season, roped an RBI double through the left-center gap to score catcher Shealyn Starks from first.

Second baseman Tayler Vitola singled to right to start the bottom of the third, extending her hitting streak to five games. Amodeo then worked a 3-2 walk two batters later. Susie Borda pinch ran for Amodeo and stolen bases by Vitola and Borda put runners on second and third with one gone. Winstead then hit a dribbler to second base, but the throw sailed past the first base bag to plate Vitola and Borda and make it, 3-1.

The Seahawks added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a sac-fly off the bat of third baseman Anna Knox.

Hammock retired 15 of the next 16 batters after Lemire's second-inning double before first baseman Carsten Puckett sent a 3-2 pitch over the right-field wall for her third home run this season with two out in the seventh.

Hammock then got Lemire to pop out harmlessly to Vitola at second to end the game.

GAME NOTES: UNCW has won eight straight against Charleston … The Seahawks stole 10 bags in the doubleheader … UNCW is 8-1 when scoring in the first inning … The Seahawks are 1-1 when scoring one run this year … UNCW has won 13 of their last 15 home games … Vitola has reached base in 17 straight home games.