USCB softball showcased its stellar offense on its home field Saturday, dominating Montreat in a pair of 10-1 and 8-0 run-rule victories.
The Sand Sharks mounted a two-out rally to start the day in the first, scoring five runs in the frame on five hits. Ashlyn Alte and Addie Reynolds started it off with back-to-back singles, and both Zinia Hampleton and Mackenzie Freeman drilled two-RBI triples to go on top 5-0. USCB tacked on two more in the second, as Alte stayed hot with a run-scoring double before Reynolds added a sacrifice fly for a 7-0 lead.
Montreat broke through in the top of the fourth on a wild pitch, but pitcher Reghan Steifle stayed strong and held the Cavaliers to just a single run. USCB’s offense answered again in the bottom half, as Zinia Hampleton drove a pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run homer, her second career round-tripper as a Sand Shark. Steifle dominated the rest of the way in the circle, posting a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth to seal her complete game and a 10-1 victory.
Steifle was in command of Montreat’s lineup from start to finish, tossing all five innings and allowing just two hits and one run while striking out two batters. Hampleton was unstoppable at the plate for USCB, going 3-for-3 with a triple, homer, and a whopping five RBI. Alte and Reynolds were both 2-for-2, and Freeman added two hits while driving in a pair.
The home offense replicated its tremendous start in game two, plating another five runs in the bottom of the first. Devon Weller and Alyssa Smith showcased their speed with back-to-back triples, and Alte drove in Smith with a ringing double to make it 2-0. Hampleton picked up her sixth and seventh RBIs on the day with a two-run single, and Freeman tallied a single to surge the lead to 5-0.
Taylor Florea was sensational in the circle, picking up five strikeouts in just the first two innings. USCB continued to add on to its lead, as Freeman drove in another run in the third before Weller plated two on a double in the fourth to extend it to 8-0. Florea finished off a remarkable showing in the circle, notching a trio of 1-2-3 innings to earn a complete-game shutout win.
After a rough outing on Tuesday, Florea rebounded with a gem against the Cavaliers, throwing five one-hit innings with one walk and eight strikeouts. Weller was 2-for-3 at the dish with a double, triple, and two RBI, while Smith and Alte both turned in 2-for-2 games. Freeman finished off an outstanding doubleheader with another big performance, posting two singles and driving in two runs.
USCB (3-1) goes on the road for the first time this season for a matchup with Georgia Southwestern on Saturday.
By Wes Kerr