VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The fifth-ranked Salisbury University softball team dropped a pair of games to the fourth-ranked Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday to open the 2021 season.

BOX SCORE GAME 1
BOX SCORE GAME 2

GAME 1 – VWU 5, Salisbury 2

• Salisbury got the year off in a big way in the top of the first inning. After Abby Mace drew a leadoff walk and stole her way to third base, Natalie Paoli drove Mace home with an RBI single to left-center to open the scoring.
• Virginia Wesleyan responded with a four-run third inning, which was highlighted by a Madison Glaubke two-run double.
• VWU added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Katelyn Biando that scored Ariana Rolle to push its lead to 5-1.
• Mace opened the fifth inning with a leadoff home run to left field to trim the VWU lead to 5-2 but Hanna Hull kept the Sea Gulls at bay.

GAME 2 – VWU 2, Salisbury 1

• Mace led off the game with a blast over the center-field fence to give Salisbury the early 1-0 lead.
• VWU tied the game at one in the bottom of the third with a solo home run from Jessica Goldyn.
• The Marlins walked off winners in the bottom of the seventh inning when Kayla Womack scored on a throwing error.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Abby Mace led the offense with four hits on the day, including the leadoff home run in Game 2. Mace scored three times and stole three bases in two games.
• Natalie Paoli went 2-for-3 in the clean-up spot in the opening game with the RBI double in the first inning.
• Kaleigh Edwards and Sami Mumford each tallied a hit in the nightcap.
• Lindsey Windsor struck out two and only gave up four hits and four earned runs in a complete-game effort in Game 1.
• Savannah Sheats allowed six hits and one earned run in the loss in the second game.

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN GAME NOTES

• Katelyn Biando drove in three runs in the doubleheader.
• Madison Glaubke recorded two RBIs.
• Hanna Hull struck out six but walked nine batters in the opener.

UP NEXT

• Salisbury will be back in action on Saturday to start a weekend series in Virginia. The Sea Gulls open the weekend slate with a pair of games against No. 3 Christopher Newport and Pfeiffer.
• Saturday's doubleheader from Newport News, Va. is set to start at 3 p.m.