WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – William Peace earned its first doubleheader sweep at Salem since 2014 on Tuesday, March 29th, when the Pacers posted wins of 5-3 and 11-1 (5 innings) at Blixt Field. The last time that Salem dropped a home doubleheader pair of its USA South Conference foe came on April 5, 2014.
GAME 1: William Peace 5, Salem 3
Salem (3-14, 0-3 USA South) got a pair of solid performances from both Kat Price and Brianne Coleman in the first game of the series. Price tossed a complete game, scattering 10 hits that resulted in five runs (two earned runs) and finished with one strikeout.
Brianne Coleman was one of five Salem sluggers with a hit, cracking a two-run home run, to finish 1-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored. Also coming through with a hit was Madison Thomas (1-4, run), Madeline Brown (1-3, RBI), Faythe Bowles (1-3) and Price herself, who was 1-for-2 with a walk.
William Peace established a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Dara Orr led off the game with a double to third. After teammate Lauren Conway reached on a walk the pair converted a double steal with Megan McAnany bringing Orr homeward with a single to third. The second run trotted home when Conway scored the unearned run following an infield throwing miscue.
Salem bounced back with two runs of its own in the home half of the first. Madison Thomas drove a hard-hit single to short. Two batters later, Brianne Coleman lifted a home run over the centerfield wall, knotting the game at two-all.
The Pacers regained the lead, 3-2, in the second after Lydia Hunt opened with a single to the left, moving to third on a throwing error. Two batters later, Orr reached on a single at second, scoring Hunt for the go-ahead run.
William Peace added to its lead in the fourth when Hunt drove the first pitch of the inning to left centerfield for a home run that ricocheted off the top of the fence over the wall. Salem answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the fifth, trimming the deficit to 4-3, when Madeline Brown drove a single down the left field line that scored Coleman from second.
After two quick outs in the seventh, McAnany reached with a double to left centerfield, scoring the fifth and final run on an infield miscue after an error that caught Logan Ayers in a rundown.
GAME 2: William Peace 11, Salem 1 (5 innings)
Dara Orr worked the count in her favor to lead the game off with a walk for the Pacers, moving to second on a stolen bae before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Lauren Conway provided William Peace with a 1-0 advantage with a sacrifice fly into right field, scoring Orr from third. The Pacers had a single from Adanya Day, but Salem's defense kept the offense at bay.
The Pacers sent 10 batters to the plate in the second, scoring six runs off 10 hits and taking advantage of a Salem error to stretch their lead to 7-0. Megan McAnany, Orr and Day delivered doubles in the frame, combining for four RBI in the process.
After a scoreless third inning, William Peace came through with two more runs in the fourth, which came on a two-run home run to centerfield by Candice Smith that brought home Conway, who reached base with a double to right field.
The Pacer lead ballooned to 11-0 in the top of the fifth following a run-scoring single to centerfield by Kayleigh Griffith-Teemer, plating Lydia Hunt, and a wild pitch that plated Orr for the final William Peace run.
Abby Shelton singled to right for the first Salem hit of the fifth and Madison Thomas followed two batters later with a single back to the pitcher that moved Shelton to third. Arianna Ryan reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Shelton for the lone run of the game by the Spirits.
William Peace (16-7, 4-2 USA South) capped off the game with 10 hits, including two each from Orr (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs, double) and Conway (2-2, RBI, 2 runs, double). Smith, who cracked the only home run of the game, also closed with two hits for the Pacers.
Katherine Murphy tossed five innings en route to her ninth win of the season, allowing one run on five hits. She closed with two strikeouts.
Salem (3-15, 0-4) closed with five hits in the game with Ryan responsible for the lone RBI after finishing 1-for-3 at the plate. Also with hits were Madison Thomas, Carlee McWilliam, Cree Bass and Shelton.
Kat Price (0-3) tossed 1.2 innings, allowed seven runs (six earned) off six hits and issued a pair of walks. Thomas took over on the mound and hurled 3.1 innings, surrendering four runs (three earned) on four hits while picking up one strikeout.
Salem will now head to intercity rival Greensboro for a doubleheader clash with The Pride on Saturday, April 2nd. First game is slated to begin at 1 p.m. and game two will follow approximately 45 minutes after game one.