Site: Winston-Salem, N.C. | Ferrum at Salem | Blixt Field | March 19 |

Scores:
Ferrum 8, Salem 1
Ferrum 9, Salem 2

Records: Ferrum (7-5) / Salem (0-8)

Next Games:
Salem vs. Livingstone | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Blixt Field | March 20 | 1 p.m. / 3 p.m.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Salem softball team began a two-day, four-game stretch of games at Blixt Field with a pair of setbacks to Ferrum on Sunday, March 19th, as the Panthers emerged with victories by scores of 8-1 (Game 1) and 9-2 (Game 2) of the doubleheader.

The Spirits received solid performances from Alli Stertzbach in the circle, as the first year pitcher closed with seven strikeouts in the second game of the day. Stertzbach (0-4), who briefly gave way to Katie Gerhardt in relief, scattered nine hits over seven innings, which resulted in eight runs (seven earned runs).

At the plate, the Salem offense had three extra-base hits, including a pair of doubles from Madeline Brown and Carlee McWilliam, who are tied with a team-best three each on the slate. After delivering a single in the second game of the afternoon, McWilliam extended her hitting streak to four games for the Spirits.

Senior slugger Savanah Atkins was also responsible for an extra-base hit, cracking a two-run dinger in the home half of the fourth inning of game two, evening the game at 2-2. Atkins now has two home runs on the season and seven in her collegiate career.

GAME 1: Ferrum 8, Salem 1
W: Lyndsey Sears (5-2) / L: Katie Gerhardt (0-1)
Salem Leaders: Carlee McWilliam (1-2, doubleb), Shelby LaPoint (1-3)

SALEM HIGHLIGHTS
-Carlee McWilliam ran her hitting streak to three games by finishing 1-for-2 with a double, which came in the fourth inning.
-Hitting in the cleanup spot for Salem, Shelby LaPoint delivered the first hit of her collegiate career.
-Katie Gerhardt tossed five innings, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits.
-Kat Price had a relief appearance for Salem, scattering three hits over two innings of work.

FERRUM HIGHLIGHTS
-Lyndsey Sears made her presence felt on the mound and at the plate for the Panthers. On the mound she tossed five innings, allowing two hits (one run), while closing with 11 strikeouts.
-At the plate, Sears finished 2-for-3 with four RBI, which came on a grand slam home run in the fifth.
-Breanna Weaver was 2-for-3 from the plate with three runs scored from the top of the Panthers' order.
-Laney Jo Patterson (3-4, run), Makayla Fincanon (2-4, 2 RBI) and Kerstin Snyder (2-2, run) also had multi-hit outings for Ferrum.
-Panthers closed with 14 hits on the game, resulting in seven RBI.

GAME 2:
W: Emily Walker (1-0) / L: Alli Stertzbach (0-4) / S: Lyndsey Sears (1)
Salem Leaders: Alli Stertzbach (7 IP, 7 K's), Savanah Atkins (1-3, 2 RBI, run, HR), Madeline Brown (2-3, double), Carlee McWilliam (1-3)

SALEM HIGHLIGHTS
-First year pitcher Alli Stertzbach comes through with seven strikeouts for the Spirits. Stertzbach was the Salem starter, giving way to Katie Gerhardt, before re-entering the game to close with seven innings pitched.
-Savanah Atkins drove home her second home run of the season, seventh of her career, in the fourth inning. The home run tied the game at 2-2.
-Salem's Madeline Brown notched her third double of the season in the bottom of the sixth, tying teammate Carlee McWilliam for most two-base hits on the campaign.
-McWilliam finished 1-for-3 at the plate for Salem, extending her hitting streak to four straight contests.

FERRUM HIGHLIGHTS
-Ferrum put seven runners across the plate in the sixth inning, including three by virtue of walks, to break a two-all tie and grab a 9-2 lead.
-The Panthers got three hits in the sixth, all singles, in the process. Ferrum also took advantage of runs in the first and fourth innings as well.
-Breanna Weaver (2-3, 2 runs) and Makayla Fincannon (2-3, 2 RBI, run) led the Panther lineup with multi-hit performances in the game.
Emily Walker tossed four innings to earn the victory, while Lyndsey Sears (S, 1) earned the save after allowing one hit and one walk in three innings of work.