WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem softball trio of Savanah Atkins, Brianne Coleman and Madison Thomas highlighted the 2022 home opener, despite a pair of setbacks to Randolph (8-1 / 11-1 {6 inn.}) on Sunday, March 6th at Blixt Field. Atkins and Coleman cracked home runs on the day, while Thomas struck out eight batters in two games, while recording a triple at the plate.
GAME 1: Randolph 8, Salem 1
Brianne Coleman highlighted the Salem offense, which struggled to find its rhythm, by finishing 2-for-3 from the plate with a run scored and her 14th career home run.
Madison Thomas (0-5) tossed six innings for Salem, limiting the Wildcats to one walk. Thomas fanned five Randolph hitters during her time in the circle, tying her single-game career-high. She also struck out five Emory & Henry hitters on February 22, 2020. Thomas now has five multi-strikeout performances this season and eight in her career.
Meanwhile, Randolph (2-6) pounded out 13 hits, receiving multi-hit performances from the trio of Chloe Persinger (3-4, RBI, run), Allie Jarrett (2-4, run) and Paige Scruggs (2-3, 3 runs). Jarrett was responsible for the only extra-base hits of the contest for the Wildcats, recording a pair of doubles. Persinger was also dominate on the mound, tossing a complete game two hitter that included two strikeouts.
The Wildcats put their first run on the board in the second when Persinger came home from third on an infield miscue that allowed Lexi Hawkins to reach first base after a dropped strikeout.
Randolph extended its lead to 3-0 in the fourth when Delaney Nuckols sent a two-run single through the left side, scoring Lacey Lucado and Hawkins in the process.
The Wildcats tacked on three more runs in the fifth, moving their lead to 6-0. The first came on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Scruggs, plating Liz Mason. Two batters later, Taylor Freiss roped a single down the right field line, scoring Lucado and Jarrelle.
Facing a 7-0 deficit entering the bottom of the sixth, after Randolph scored in the home half of the frame, Coleman blasted a two-out home run over the centerfield wall for the lone Salem run. Randolph got the run back in the top of the seventh when Nuckols grounder scored Lucado.
GAME 2: Randolph 11, Salem 1 (6 innings)
Savanah Atkins was responsible for the Salem run in the second game of the doubleheader, leading off the sixth inning with a solo blast inside the left field fence that resulted in her second home run of the season.
Atkins, who finished 1-for-3 at the plate, was one of six Salem sluggers with a hit in the game. Teammate Madison Thomas, who was also 1-for-3, recorded the first triple for the Spirits (0-8) by motoring to third after dropping a hit into left field. Brianne Coleman came through with a double to right for the Spirits, resulting in her only hit of the contest.
Thomas logged five innings on the mound in the second game. She struck out three Randolph batters in the second contest, giving her six multi-strikeout games on the season.
Faythe Bowles closed out the game with a 1-for-3 outing, as did teammates Abby Shelton and Carlee McWilliam.
Randolph (3-6) established itself early in the first, scoring five runs on three hits, including a 3-run home run to left by Lexi Hawkins.
The Wildcats had their second multi-run inning of the game in the sixth, capitalizing on five hits to score six runs. Randolph picked up three runs on a triple to right centerfield by Dominique Irving, who scored one batter later when Diane Mahiai connected on a double to left. The final run crossed the plate when Lacey Lucado drew a bases loaded walk, stretching the margin to 11-0.
The Spirits return to action on Tuesday afternoon when they head to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for a two-day, four-game stretch at the North Myrtle Beach Softball Complex. While there, Salem will face Gettysburg and Montclair State on Tuesday (March 8). The following day Salem will contend with DeSales and Centenary (N.J.). All games are at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively.
