WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After splitting its last four games against Southern Virginia and Averett, the Salem softball team returns to the field on Tuesday, April 12th, to face Methodist in a doubleheader in Fayetteville, N.C.

The first game of the series is set for 3 p.m. and the second will begin at approximately 5 p.m. The Spirits are 5-19 overall and 2-8 in USA South action on the season while Methodist is 14-17 overall and 6-4 in conference play.

SEARCHING FOR A USA SOUTH ROAD WIN: After not being able to play in league contests in either 2020 or 2021, due to COVID-19, the last time the Salem posted a road win in the USA South Conference came on April 7, 2019 against Ferrum.

In that doubleheader clash with the Panthers, Salem opened the series with an 8-1 win, highlighted by a home run and a double from Brittany Morton. The Spirits followed that with a 5-2 victory in the second game, which included a series of doubles by Miranda Barker, Addison York and Breanna Herman.

"MAD" TANDEM: Madison Thomas and Madeline Brown, who combined for three hits in the doubleheader with Averett, lead all Salem sluggers in batting average through the first 10 games of the USA South Conference slate.

Thomas is the best statistical hitter for the Spirits with a .412 batting average in league play, coming through with 14 hits in 34 at-bats. She has tallied eight runs, two doubles and owns a .471 slugging percentage and .459 on-base percentage with her efforts. In the circle she is 1-3 versus league opponents, fanning 18 hitters over 38.1 innings while allowing just 26 earned runs and seven walks.

Brown enters the week second in batting average (.286), notching six hits in 21 at bats against USA South pitchers. She came through with two hits in the series opener against Averett on Saturday afternoon, tying Brianne Coleman for the team lead.

That two-hit performance by Brown marked her fourth of the season, which is tied for fourth-most on the team. Only Thomas, Coleman and Arianna Ryan, who are locked in a three-way tie for first, have more two-hit games on the slate.

PREVIEWING METHODIST: The Monarchs return home after splitting a pair of road series with Greensboro and Meredith last week.

Methodist dropped the first game with Greensboro by a 6-0 margin, but posted an 8-4 win in game two on Wednesday, April 6th. Three days later, in Raleigh, the Monarchs opened the series with a 3-2, 9-inning, setback to Meredith, before rebounding to take game two by a 6-2 score.

The Monarchs, who are 5-11 at Price Field this season, have three sluggers who have at least a .300 batting average through a minimum of 10 games—Bethany Junker (.343), Haley Fethke (.326) and Heather Tsapp (.325).

Junker not only leads all Methodist sluggers in average, but she tops the team in hits (35), at bats (102), walks (12) and is second in on-base percentage (.422). She has only three extra-base hits this season, all resulting in doubles.

Brittany Jones is the top pitcher on the Methodist staff in wins (10), ERA (1.98), innings pitched (95.1) and shutouts (four). She has recorded a team-high 94 strikeouts while issuing just 26 walks along the way. Alyssa Barwick (3-7) and Rebekah Haigler (1-0) also have wins in the circle for the Monarchs this season.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS METHODIST
(Salem leads series 10-3)