Next Game:
Salem at William Peace | WPU Softball Complex | Raleigh, N.C. | April 26 | 2:00 / 4:00 p.m.
LAST GAME RECAP (vs. Sweet Briar)
Savanah Atkins capped off her Senior Day for Salem softball by combining for two doubles and her ninth career home run, but the Spirits suffered a pair of non-conference setbacks to Sweet Briar by scores of 10-2 (6 inn.) and 3-0 at Blixt Field on Sunday, April 23rd.
Atkins mimicked former teammate Brianne Coleman, who hit a home run in game one of her 2022 Senior Day, with a solo blast over the left field wall in the first game of the doubleheader. She bookended the opening game of the doubleheader with a double in the sixth. Atkins picked up her second double of the afternoon in the second game, with a two-base hit down the left field line in the first inning, moving her career number of doubles to 12.
The Spirits also received two hits and two stolen bases from first-year outfielder Maleah Tate. Madeline Brown and Cree Bass also picked up singles for Salem.
In the circle, Katie Gerhardt tallied four strikeouts in the opening game, while Alli Stertzbach added two in her fourth relief appearance of the slate. Kat Price followed by tossing a complete-game, seven-hitter, issuing just two walks and converting a strikeout in the second game of the day.
SALEM HIGHLIGHTS | Game 1
-Senior Savanah Atkins delivered two hits, her fourth game of the season with multi-hits, including her ninth all-time home run.
-Atkins moves her career double mark to 11 with a two-base hit in the contest.
-Atkins' home run, which traveled over the left field wall, which cut the Sweet Briar lead to 2-1 in the home half of the second.
-Brown connected on a sacrifice fly to left field, which plated Tate, for the second Salem run of the game.
-Katie Gerhardt tossed 5.1 innings, allowed six hits and converted four strikeouts for Salem.
-Alli Stertzbach made her fourth relief appearance of the season, logging 0.2 innings and finishing with a pair of K's.
SALEM HIGHLIGHTS | Game 2
-The top of the Salem order, which included Brown, Kat Price and Savanah Atkins, accounted for two hits in the game.
-Tate finished the game 1-for-3 from the plate as Salem's number seven hitter.
-Savanah Atkins moved her number of career doubles to 12 with a two-base hit down the left field line in the first inning.
-Price had her sixth game of the season with at least one K.
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE SPIRITS
Salem is putting the finishing touches on the 2023 regular season this week, making its fourth trip the Triangle this season on Wednesday when the Spirits face William Peace. Three days later, Salem completes the regular season with a clash against Methodist on Saturday afternoon at Blixt Field at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Salem is 1-5 in Raleigh, N.C., this season facing both LaGrange and Eastern Mennonite in a neutral site game on March 5th at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic. The second trip was to Meredith, who captured both victories on March 31st, and most recently the Spirits faced Shaw on April 18th in the North Carolina capital. Against the Bears, Salem brought home the 13-6 win in game one, but suffered a 7-1 setback in game two.
The Spirits will be watching the scoreboard to check the progress of Brevard and Methodist, who sit above Salem in the USA South Conference standings in order to clinch a spot at the eighth seed in the league tournament. Methodist has Salem (April 29) and Brevard (April 30) left on the docket. Whereas Brevard has clashes with Greensboro (April 26), Pfeiffer (April 29) and Methodist (April 30) left in league action.
STATISTICAL LEADERS FOR THE SPIRITS
Salem heads into the final week of the 2023 campaign led in batting average by junior Madeline Brown. Brown has amassed a .366 batting average while delivering 26 hits, seven doubles, a triple and a home run for the Spirits. She has also driven in a season-best 16 runs while making five stolen bases. The Georgia native is responsible for a .453 on-base percentage and .535 slugging percentage.
Senior Savanah Atkins has the second-most hits (16) and runs scored (12), delivering four home runs and four doubles along the way. Atkins' 13 RBI is a team-high for the Spirits as well.
Sophomore Kat Price leads all pitchers with 74.1 innings in the circle, resulting in 12 K's and allowing just 44 earned runs. She has the lowest ERA (4.14) on the unit. First year Alli Stertzbach leads the way in strikeouts with 26, seven more than Katie Gerhardt.
ANALYZING THE PACERS
Salem Head-to-Head vs. William Peace: Salem has a small edge in the head-to-head series with William Peace, owing a 11-10-1 advantage. The Pacers have won the last three meetings, but prior to that Salem had a five-game winning streak that spanned from April 6, 2018 until the first game of the series on March 30, 2019.
The Pacers are 18-16 overall and 6-8 in USA South Conference action this season. William Peace has won five games at home, splitting their most recent series with Mary Baldwin on Sunday by scores of 4-3.
The leading slugger in the William Peace lineup is Adanya Day, who has a .375 batting average in 33 games played. She is responsible for 39 hits, eight home runs and 25 runs scored, which ranks places her first statistically. She is fourth in doubles with five, three off the pace held by teammates Anna Suggs, Preston Hawkins and Megan AcAnany.
Joining Day among players with a .300 batting average or better are Logan Ayers (.356), Lydia Hunt (.337) and Suggs (.330).
The top pitcher on the William Peace staff is Katherine Murphy, who has a 12-6 record along with a 2.09 ERA. Murphy has tossed 114 innings, allowed 39 runs (34 ER) and converted a team-best 119 strikeouts along the way. Suggs has also entered the circle for the Pacers, appearing in 15 games, boasting a 6-8 mark. In 94.1 innings, Suggs has converted 62 K's, allowed 76 runs and 60 earned runs.