TOWSON, Maryland – UNCW secured its third straight Colonial Athletic Association series victory on Saturday, sweeping a softball doubleheader at Towson in two close games at Tiger Softball Stadium.
The Seahawks, 24-7 (6-2 CAA), continued one of the best seasons in program history with a 3-1 win in the first game followed by a 4-2 victory in the second matchup. The Tigers, meanwhile, dipped to 11-22 this season, including a 1-7 mark in the circuit.
UNCW will look to sweep the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. before traveling to CAA frontrunner, Hofstra, next weekend.
GAME 1 | UNCW 3, Towson 1
Winstead (9-3) struck out eight Tigers and scattered four hits to pick up her sixth complete game of the season.
The Seahawks plated one run in the third and fourth innings courtesy of RBI doubles by Arial Pearce and Janel Gamache, respectively. Gamache, a senior, extended her hit streak to a season-high seven games.
A third run came around to score in the bottom of the seventh when freshman Mackenzie Amodeo doubled to left field to score Mary Sobataka, who singled to center to start the frame.
UNCW, who reached double-digit hits (10) for the third time this year, enjoyed multi-hit games from Gamache, Amodeo, Sobataka, and lead-off hitter Tayler Vitola, who has reached base in nine consecutive games.
Winstead has at least seven strikeouts in 10 of her last 11 games and, with 105 strikeouts this season, becomes the 12th Seahawk spinner to surpass 100 punchouts in a season.
GAME 2 | UNCW 4, Towson 2
The Seahawks scored in each of the first three innings, including a two-run from in the top of the third when Amodeo and Elizabeth Winstead roped singled up the middle.
Susie Borda, who pinch ran for Amodeo, and Winstead executed a double-steal to advance into scoring position for Anna Knox with one out. Knox, a graduate student, then shot a single the opposite way into right field to extend the Seahawks' lead to 4-0.
Gamache, the second batter of the afternoon capper, launched her seventh home run of the season over the right-center wall to put the Seahawks up early.
In the second inning, Knox and Sobataka reached to begin the frame. The pair attempted to steal, but the throwdown to second was off the mark, allowing Knox to cross home.
Towson plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth and had the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh, but the Seahawks doubled off Mackenzie Lake at first base to end the game.
Freshman Kara Hammock pitched 5.2 innings without allowing an earned run while junior Amberlyn Pearce worked out of jams in the final two innings to earn her third save of the season.
