MOUNT OLIVE (March 14) – Junior
Callie Thornton tossed her second no-hitter of the season, as the University of Mount Olive softball program produced a doubleheader sweep over Fayetteville State on Thursday afternoon, recording an 11-0 win in Game 1 before delivering a 9-1 victory in Game 2.
With the sweep, the Trojans improve to 20-7 overall behind a 14-5 mark at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. Mount Olive holds a 15-1 record in the all-time series dating back to 2012 while winning the previous 11 meetings. Meanwhile, the Broncos drops to 4-10 this season with a 0-4 record against Conference Carolinas opponents.
In Game 1, Thornton collected her second no-hitter this year and tallied six strikeouts in 5.0 innings (63 pitches) of work to improve to 8-1 in the circle. She faced 16 batters in the contest and forced eight ground outs and one fly out.
The Trojans jumped ahead in the bottom of the first after senior
Emma Mooney laced an RBI single up the middle to take a 1-0 lead. With one out, senior
Kylie Emanuele launched a two-run homer to left field, her 12th of the season, to stretch the advantage to 3-0.
In the second frame, freshman
Laci Best belted a two-run double off the top of the wall in left field to take a 5-0 edge before senior
Carly Curcio tallied a pair of RBIs on a single to left field, 7-0. Later in the inning, junior
Olivia Reardon registered an RBI single down the left-field line with two outs before freshman
Kayla Rudd hit an RBI double to right field, 9-0.
The Trojans scored two additional runs in the third inning, highlighted by a solo homer to left field by Emanuele, her second of the game, to take an 11-0 lead.
Emanuele finished 2-for-3 with two homers, three RBIs, and three runs scored, while Mooney, Rudd, and senior
Courtlynn Cooney all delivered multi-hit performances.
In Game 2, the Broncos took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single to left field. UMO countered in the bottom half of the frame with a solo homer to left field by Best, her seventh of the season, to tie the contest at 1-1. Following a scoreless second frame, the Trojans grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the third on a sacrifice fly to left field by Emanuele. In the fourth, Reardon scored on a double steal before Cooney produced an RBI single to right center, 4-1.
Mount Olive registered the run-rule win in the fifth inning after scoring five runs on five hits. Emanuele laced an RBI triple to center field before senior
Cana Shrock hit an RBI single to left field, 6-1. With one out and a pair of runners on base, Curcio blasted a three-run homer to center field to secure the 9-1 victory.
Cooney finished 3-for-3 with one RBI, one run scored, and two stolen bases. Best went 2-for-2 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Sophomore
Bri Verme (5-3) earned the win after yielding one run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 5.0 innings of work (69 pitches).
Mount Olive returns to Conference Carolinas play on Saturday, March 16, for a doubleheader against Lees-McRae at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
