NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The fifth-ranked Salisbury University softball team collected its first win of the 2021 season in a doubleheader split on Saturday. Salisbury upended No. 3 CNU, 16-11 to earn Lacey Lord's first win as SU head coach but stumbled in the nightcap with Pfeiffer, 7-0.

CNU BOX SCORE

PFEIFFER BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED – CNU

• After CNU scored three runs in the bottom of the first, Salisbury powered ahead with a five-run third inning. Abby Mace led off the inning with a double then Jillian Jones brought Mace in with an RBI single to center field. Kaleigh Edwards followed up with a two-run blast to left field.
• Later in the third, Meagan Reed drove in her first two collegiate runs with a single down to the left-field line to plate Lindsey Windsor and Maddison Lednum.
• CNU nodded the game at five with a pair of runs in the third inning.
• Salisbury regained the lead in the fourth inning with a Lauren Meyers RBI single to score Edwards.
• Salisbury tacked on four more runs in the fifth, all with two outs. Edwards allowed Reed to score on an RBI infield single. A batter later, Edwards and Raegan Smith came home on a throwing error by the CNU third baseman. Natalie Paoli scored later in the inning on Meyers's second RBI of the game. CNU cut into the lead in the bottom of half of the inning on a sacrifice fly.
• Four more runs came around to score for Salisbury to stretch the lead to 14-6. Sami Mumford knocked a double down the left-field line to score Francesca Cuttitta. Mumford scored later in the inning on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Paoli drove home Jones and Mace on a two-RBI double to left field.
• CNU responded in the bottom half of the sixth with four runs to trim the Salisbury lead to 14-10 heading to the final frame.
• Mace provided Salisbury insurance runs in the seventh inning with a two-run blast over the left-field fence.
• CNU scored a run on an error in the seventh but Savannah Sheats was able to retire the side in the seventh to seal the win for SU.

HOW IT HAPPENED – PFEIFFER

• Salisbury struggled offensively and in the field in the second game.
• Pfeiffer opened the game with a run in the first and multi-run third and fourth innings along with insurance in the sixth to take the win.
• Edwards notched the lone two hits in the game for Salisbury.
• Jones also reached base twice via the base on balls.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Kaleigh Edwards recorded five hits in the doubleheader. She scored three runs and drove home three runs, two of which on a home run against CNU.
• Abby Mace registered her second home run of the season in the opener against CNU. Mace also came around to score three times.
• Lauren Meyers and Meagan Reed each collected three hits along with a double and two RBIs.
• Nicole Ortega earned her first career win in relief. She scattered six hits and five runs (three earned) but notched a strikeout.

UP NEXT

• Salisbury will return to the field on Sunday to rematch No. 4 Virginia Wesleyan and No. 3 CNU.
• The first game against the Marlins in Virginia Beach is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
• Salisbury will then venture a couple of miles down the road in Newport News to square off with the Captains with the first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m.