WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Salem sluggers Brianne Coleman and Cree Bass each played a key role in helping the Spirits earn a doubleheader sweep of Mary Baldwin, by scores of 6-5 in each contest, in the USA South Conference home finale at Blixt Field on Wednesday, April 20th. Coleman accounted for three home runs and seven RBI in two games, while Bass delivered a walk-off single in game two, giving Salem its second league sweep of the slate.

GAME 1: Salem 6, Mary Baldwin 5

Brianne Coleman paired with Madison Thomas to lead Salem (6-23, 3-12 USA South) to a 6-5 victory in the first game of the doubleheader. Coleman, who blasted two home runs for the first time in her collegiate career, finished 3-for-3 at the plate with five RBI and a double.

Thomas, who tossed a complete game victory, scattered 11 hits over seven innings and allowed one earned run. She fanned three Fighting Squirrels to improve to 4-9 on the season. Thomas helped her cause by finishing 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two runs scored. Salem also received one hit each from Savanah Atkins and Cree Bass.

Mary Baldwin (9-23-1, 4-11 USA South) established a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Leanna Rankin reached on an infield fielding error. Hadley May brought home her teammate three batters later on a grounder to second. Madison Thomas mirrored her leadoff counterpart, reaching on a single through the right side, before moving into scoring position when she stole second. Coleman connected on a two-run slam over the right centerfield wall, putting Salem in front 2-1.

Coleman delivered again in the home half of the third, connecting on a two-run double that extended the Spirits' advantage to 4-1. Kat Price reached base after being struck on the wrist, moving into scoring position with a single to short by Thomas.

Both runners advanced one more base with a sacrifice bunt by Ariana Ryan, setting the table for Coleman. After Savanah Atkins reached on a throwing error at short, moving Coleman to third, she was caught in a pickoff attempt that allowed Coleman to score the fifth run of the game for Salem.

Mary Baldwin had its first multi-run inning of the game in the sixth, scoring four runs on four hits and taking advantage of an error to tie the game at five-all. May opened with a triple to right, scoring on an Emily Hall sacrifice. Lacey Morris added a single and Allison Crum delivered a double to put both runners in scoring position. Maisie Spivey loaded the bases for Keelie Sealock, who reached on an error that scored two runs. The game-tying run came on a sacrifice fly to right by Olivia Gagne.

Coleman cracked her second home run of the game on the first pitch of the at bat, driving it over the left centerfield wall. It marks the first time in Coleman's collegiate career that she had multiple home runs in the same game.

GAME 2: Salem 6, Mary Baldwin 5

With the game deadlocked at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Salem's Brianne Coleman and Savanah Atkins were walked to leadoff the frame. Carlee McWilliam moved the pair into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt with only one out. Two batters later, Cree Bass delivered in the clutch with a two-out single into right centerfield, scoring Coleman for the game-winning run.

Madison Thomas (5-9) picked up her second win of the day after taking over in the circle for starter Kat Price. Thomas, who tossed 1.2 innings of relief, held the Fighting Squirrels (9-24-1, 4-12 USA South) hitless and scoreless during her stint. A large part of that came due to solid infield defense from Ariana Ryan, who made two outs, and a defensive stop by Coleman in the top of the seventh.

Coleman continued her hot hitting in the second game, sending a two-run home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the first. Thomas led off the game with a single to short and two batters later came home on the Coleman blast. Atkins kept the Spirits on the base pads with a triple down the right field line before a Carlee McWilliam walk. However, Salem was unable to push the lead any further, leading 2-0 through one.

Salem (7-23, 4-12 USA South) had a potential for additional runs in the second after a double to shortstop by Thomas and a walk by Ryan. Coleman, who followed in the lineup, sent a fly ball deep to centerfield, but Keelie Sealock caught the ball on the warning track to halt a scoring opportunity.

With two outs in the top of the third Kelsey Hines kept the inning alive for Mary Baldwin with a walk. Hadley May scored her teammate with a double that skated into right field before a double to right by Emily Hall evened the game at 2-2.

Ryan connected on a single through the left side of the infield to keep the fourth inning alive for the Spirits. After a walk of Coleman, which put two runners on, Atkins connected on a three-run home run over the left field wall that forged Salem in front 5-2.

Leanna Ryan opened the fifth with a single for the Fighting Squirrels, advancing to second with a walk of Hines and the pair advanced one base on a wild pitch. May lined a pitch off Price's shin, scoring Leanna Rankin for the third run of the game. Lacey Morris followed with a base hit to left field, which allowed Hines to score, as Mary Baldwin trimmed the margin to 5-4.

Mary Baldwin continued to chip away at the lead in the sixth and following a Hines out at first, Rankin trotted home from third after singling to short earlier in the frame, making for the five-all deadlock.

The top four hitters in the Salem lineup combined for six hits, six runs and five RBI in the second game. Both Atkins (2-2, 3 RBI, 3B, HR) and Thomas (2-4, run) had multi-hit performances, while Coleman moved her season home run total to six and her career home run total to 19 following her three on Wednesday afternoon. Ryan, who hit from the No. 2 spot for Salem, emerged with a hit in the game as well.

Price tossed 5.1 innings, scattered 10 hits over that span, and issued two walks in a gritty performance. After being hit on the wrist in game one, she took a liner off the shin in game two before moving to left field.

The Spirits conclude their final road game of the USA South Conference on Saturday, April 23rd, when they head to Rocky Mount, N.C., to face N.C. Wesleyan at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.