WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem softball team storms into March with a pair of doubleheaders this weekend against Carolina University and Randolph as the Spirits look for their first win of the 2022 campaign.

Both doubleheaders will take place at Blixt Field, located at Salem College. For the games against Carolina University, set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, the Spirits will serve as the visitor after the original site was moved from Clemmons, N.C., to Salem. Sunday's clash against Randolph, set for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., will mark the home opener for the Spirits.

SALEM LOOKING TO DEFEND HOME FIELD: The Spirits head into the weekend with 88 all-time victories as the home team at Blixt Field. Salem has earned eight wins in home opening series in program history and Kierston Garner has led the Spirits to 14 victories at Blixt Field in her three years at the helm. Her mentor, and former Salem coach, Scott Long earned the remaining 74 home wins. Long is responsible for the most single-season home wins (17) in program history, which came in 2017.

SPIRITS IN HOME OPENING SERIES: Since the 2012 season, the first in the program's NCAA Division III history, Salem has played nine home opening series at Blixt Field.

The Spirits have earned eight wins in that span, including two series splits and three series sweeps. The first of those splits came in the inaugural season, when Salem retaliated from a 2-0 setback to William Peace in the first game in program history, to post a 19-18 win in the nightcap on February 18th.

Three years later, Salem conducted its first sweep of a home opener. On March 8, 2015, the Spirits earned their second and third wins of the season after triumphing over Shenandoah by scored of 7-2 and 11-1. The following season the same two teams met again in the home season opener for Salem, with the Spirits winning the first game (4-1) and Shenandoah bouncing back to take game two by a 5-4 margin.

The final four victories in a home opening series for Salem came by virtue of sweeping Southern Virginia on two occasions. The Spirits earned the first sweep (11-1 / 9-0) on February 17, 2017 and followed that by claiming a pair of 10-0 victories over the Knights on February 15, 2019.

EARLY RETURNS ON THE SEASON: Brianne Coleman leads the way for Salem (0-4) in hitting with a .500 batting average, connecting on 4-of-8 on the season. Coleman has two doubles among her four hits, leading the way in extra-base hits by notching one more than teammate Savanah Atkins, who has one to her credit.

Coleman also tops the team in RBI (three), while Madison Thomas leads the way with two runs scored. Atkins, along with Faythe Bowles and Carlee McWilliam, have one run each for Salem.

Three pitchers have entered the circle for Salem in 2022, including Thomas, Katie Gerhardt and Abby Shelton. Thomas and Shelton have recorded a pair of strikeouts, sharing the team lead, while Gerhardt has issued the fewest walks (one).

ANALYZING CAROLINA UNIVERSITY: Saturday afternoon will mark the first-ever series between the two Winston-Salem-based programs.

The Bruins enter this weekend with a 5-11 mark on the season and have split their last two games. After sweeping Montreat by scores of 4-3 and 12-4 on February 24th, Carolina University fell in a doubleheader to N.C. Wesleyan by margins of 4-3 and 4-0.

The top hitter in the Carolina lineup is Maggie Smith, who has a .378 batting average, .595 slugging percentage and .477 on-base percentage. Smith has connected on a team-high 14 hits, including five doubles and one home run, resulting in eight RBI.

The Bruins have four hitters with a .300 batting average other than Smith, including Kalea Bolch (.333), Kourtney Cox (.333) and Nicole Otto (.308).

Danielle Brooks anchors the Bruins' pitching staff with a team-best 36 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. She is joined in double-digit K's by Alison Hartin, who has 15 to her credit in 24.1 innings.

ANALYZING RANDOLPH: Sunday will mark the 13th and 14th all-time meetings between the two programs with Salem holding a 7-5 advantage. The Spirits have won seven of the last eight meetings, since March 13, 2016, with the long win by the Randolph (3-2) coming on April 11, 2019.

Randolph will begin a swing through the Triad by facing Greensboro on Saturday, March 5th and then heading to Winston-Salem to clash with Salem on Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats are 1-4 on the season and lost three straight entering the weekend after suffering setbacks to No. 14 Piedmont, Pfeiffer and Rowan at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic on the last weekend of February.

The top slugger in the Randolph lineup is Delaney Nuckols, who has a .636 batting average, .636 slugging percentage and .733 on-base percentage. Nuckols has a team-best seven hits in 11 at bats, resulting in two RBI and seven singles. One of three hitters with at least a .400 batting average, along with Dominique Irving (.417) and Allie Jarrett (.400), Nuckols anchors a Wildcat unit that has a .306 team batting average.

Paige Scruggs has logged the most innings (12) in the circle for the Randolph pitching staff. She leads the unit with five strikeouts, three more than teammate Chloe Persinger.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS RANDOLPH
(Salem lead series 7-5)