ELON, North Carolina – The No. 3 seed UNCW softball team erupted for nine hits to advance to the 2022 Colonial Athletic Association Championship Game for the first time ever with a 4-2 win over No. 1 Delaware at Hunt Softball Park on Friday morning.

The Seahawks, 31-13, are a win away from their first conference title in the program's 38-year history. UNCW play for the CAA crown at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The Blue Hens, 29-14, face an elimination game against either No. 4 Elon or No. 5 Charleston Friday afternoon.

Freshman starter Kara Hammock allowed three hits and a run in four innings to collect her first CAA Tournament win. Fellow freshman Emily Winstead locked down the final three innings for her second career save.

Delaware freshman Graceyn Frost went 4.2 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, in the loss.

UNCW scored a run each in the first three innings and never looked back. In a repeat of Thursday's win over Hofstra, sophomore Tayler Vitola began the day with a single up the middle and stole second. Senior Janel Gamache followed with a hard liner back to Frost, who snagged it and tried to double-off Vitola. The throw was off the mark and another throwing error allowed Vitola to score.

Third baseman Anna Knox took the first pitch of the second inning over the right-field wall for her fifth home run of the season. It was the graduate student's round-tripper since Feb. 26 versus Canisius.

Gamache started the third with a double to deep center. The Exeter, R.I., product took third on a passed ball with Mackenzie Amodeo at the plate. On the next pitch, Amodeo shot a single through the left side to plate Gamache.

The Blue Hens got on the board in the fourth inning when Brittney Mendoza and Halle Kisamore roped back-to-back doubles. With Kisamore on second, Delaware's Kailey Christian lofted a fly ball to center that landed in the glove of Camryn Dean, who threw out Kisamore trying to move to third to escape the jam.

UNCW's fourth run came in the top of the fifth when Gamache singled through the right side with one out. Two batters later, Morgan Britt tripled to center that scored Taylor Smith, who pinch-ran for Gamache.

Kisamore tried to start a rally in the seventh inning with a double down the left-field line. A sac-fly by Hanna Garber, Delaware's third baseman, scored Kisamore, but Winstead locked down the final out to send the Seahawks to the title round.

GAME NOTES: The win is the Seahawks' first over a No. 1 seed in five CAA Tournament appearances … Vitola matched a career-high with three stolen bases … UNCW is 3-0 all-time against Delaware in the CAA Championships … UNCW has won three-straight games … Eight Seahawks recorded a hit, including Gamaches' two-hit day … The Seahawks' upped their school-record save total to seven … Hammock and Winstead have recorded every out for UNCW in the CAA Tournament.  UNCW turned two double-plays.