Scores:
Salem 7, Brevard 6
Salem 9, Brevard 8

Up Next:
Salem vs. William Peace | April 20 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Blixt Field | 1 p.m. / 3 p.m. | Senior Day

Records:
Salem (5-25, 2-10 USA South) / Brevard (6-25, 0-12 USA South)

BREVARD, N.C. – The Salem softball team conducted its first doubleheader sweep of the 2024 campaign, earning a pair of road wins over USA South Conference foe Brevard by scores of 7-6 and 9-8.

The doubleheader sweep marks the first for the Spirits since March 20, 2023, when Salem downed Livingstone 13-5 and 5-2.

Salem capped off the game with nine extra-base hits, including a home run from first-year Carmen Duffey, who connected on a three-run blast in game two. The eight remaining extra-base hits were all doubles for the Spirits, including five in the first game of the doubleheader.

Among the individuals with standout performances for the Spirits were Cassandra Miller, who finished 5-of-7 from the plate with four RBI and three doubles. Duffey posted five RBI in the two games, notching five RBI and the lone home run. Savanah Atkins also made her presence felt in the Salem lineup with four hits, two resulting in doubles.

In the circle, first-year pitchers Isabella Morales and Griffin Pearce combined for four strikeouts and one win apiece. Pearce also came through with a save in game one, while Katie Gerhardt earned a save in game two.

GAME 1 | Salem 7, Brevard 6
W: Isabella Morales (3-9) / L: Logan Masinsky (1-8) / S: Griffin Pearce (1)
Salem Leaders: Cassandra Miller (2-4, 3 RBI, 2 doubles), Madeline Brown (2-4, 3 RBI, double), Shelby LaPoint (2-4, RBI, double), Savanah Atkins (1-4, double), Isabella Morales (4.1 IP, 4 K's), Griffin Pearce (2.2 IP, 3 K's)

SALEM HIGHLIGHTS
-Maleah Tate drew a leadoff walk to open the game for the Spirits and stole second to establish the single-season record for most steals (23), passing Karson Chapman, who established the single-season record (22) in 2023.
-Salem finished the game with five doubles from the quartet of Cassandra Miller (two), Shelby LaPoint, Madeline Brown and Savanah Atkins which ties for the sixth-most doubles in a game in program history. The last time this happened was on March 30, 2019 (at William Peace).
-Salem pitchers Isabella Morales (four) and Griffin Pearce (three) combined for seven K's in the contest. It is the third time this season that the Spirits have tallied at least five K's in a game. The single-game season-high in K's is eight, which came against St. Andrew's (Game 2-Feb. 22).
-Tate scored from third, following a grounder by Miller, which gave Salem the 1-0 lead.
-Amy McLamb manufactured the second Salem run of the day, leading off the second with a single to centerfield, before trotting home on a single back up the middle by Brown, for the second run.
-Brown came homeward three batters later with a single by LaPoint, who drove a single through the left side of the infield.
-The Spirits put the third run of the second inning on the board, extending the lead to 4-0 in the process, with a double to left by Miller that plated Isabella Morales.
-Salem opened the third inning with back-to-back singles from McLamb and Ashlyn Stokes, before Brown delivered a double to right centerfield to score the pair and extend the lead to 6-3.
-LaPoint opened the fourth inning with a double to left and Miller connected on her second double of the contest, which dropped into left field, scoring LaPoint on the play as Salem held a 7-3 advantage.

BREVARD HIGHLIGHTS
-Brevard countered with a three-run second inning, finishing with three hits along the way, which began with a double from Jadyn Harlow to lead off the frame.
-Rylee Locklear loaded the bases with a single to left before a Karley Queen single to centerfield which cleared the base pads for the Tornados and trimmed the deficit to 4-3.
-The Tornados capitalized on two hits and an error in the home half of the fifth, including a bases-clearing triple from Peyton Wise, to slice the Salem lead to 7-6.
-The fifth inning opened with an infield error, allowing Olivia Martinez to reach and a hit batter that put Ive Leighton on the base pads, followed by a single from MacKenzie Wilborne that loaded the bases and set the table for Wise with one out in the fifth.

GAME 2 | Salem 9, Brevard 8
W: Griffin Pearce (1-1) / L: Grace Reynolds (1-12) / S: Katie Gerhardt (1)
Salem Leaders: Carmen Duffey (2-3, 5 RBI, HR), Cassandra Miller (3-4, RBI, 2 runs, double), Savanah Atkins (3-4, run, double), Maleah Tate (2-4, 3 runs, 2 SB)

SALEM HIGHLIGHTS
-Spirits jump out early in the second game of the doubleheader as Maleah Tate reaches on a bunt ad Cassandra Miller follows with a single to put runners at the corners. Tate crosses the plate on a fielder's choice by Karma Morrison.
-Savanah Atkins keeps the inning going with a single to left, loading the bases for Carmen Duffey. Duffey delivers a single to left, clearing the bases on a throwing error, as Atkins, Morrison and Miller cross the plate for the 4-0 Salem lead and two RBI for Duffey.
-Tate, the first person to reach base in the second, swipes third and scores on a double to left from Miller as Salem builds a 5-0 lead through two innings.
-Miller came through with the first hit of the fourth, while Morrison earned a spot at first after being hit by a pitch. First-year slugger Carmen Duffey drove a three-run home run over the left field wall, marking her first home run of the season and an 8-4 Salem lead.
-Tate had a two-out bunt single to first in the top of the fifth and quickly moved into scoring position with steal of second. She scored on a double down the left field line by Shelby LaPoint, resulting in a 9-6 Salem lead.

BREVARD HIGHLIGHTS
-Brevard puts three runs on the board, finishing with three hits in the second, as the Tornados trim the deficit to 5-3.
-The first run of the game came on a pop up to second by Ive Leighton that allows Gabby Hooper to score from third after Hooper reached on a triple.
-Peyton Wise drives a single to right to bring home Rylee Locklear before KateLynn Olive was hit by a pitch to make for the third and final run of the second inning.
-The Tornados trimmed the Salem lead to one, 5-4, with a run in the third.
-Leighton came through with a single to center field, bringing home both Summer Crist and MacKenzie Wilborne to cut the Spirits' lead to 8-6.
-Brevard pulled within one run of the Spirits in the fifth with an RBI single from Wilborne, which scored Locklear, resulting in a 9-7 contest. Cassie Plemmons followed with a single up the middle, bringing Peyton Wise homeward, to trim the margin to one.