Winston-Salem, N.C. - North Carolina Wesleyan's softball team opened its 2013 season on Thursday afternoon with a two-game sweep of Salem College on the road. Carla Matthews blasted an eventual game-winning two-run homer in top of the seventh of game one, while fellow sophomore Kendra Hoes drove in a trio of runs in the nightcap.
The Spirits scratched their only run of game one with an unearned score in the bottom of the first. They looked poised to steal a 1-0 win until junior Jessica Hodges reached with one-out single in NCWC's final at-bat. Matthews promptly belted her first homer of the year to put her Bishops on top 2-1.
Junior pitcher Leanna Fann (1-0) made the lead stand up with a stellar complete performance, allowing the lone unearned run on seven hits while tallying five strikeouts.
All three of Hoes' RBIs came on one swing as she blasted her first homerun of the season in the first inning of game two. An RBI-double by Paige Pritchett in the second, followed by RBIs by Stephanie Humphrey and Hodges in the fourth, put NCWC up 5-0 before Salem could get on the board.
Brittni Jones added a couple of insurance runs with a two-run double in the seventh that capped a four-run inning. The Spirits managed one last rally with a trio of scores in their final at-bat, but they would fall short in the 10-5 final.
Sophomore hurler Kelsi Bailey (1-0) went the distance, allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits.
The Bishops (2-0) head to Fayetteville on Saturday and Sunday to compete in Methodist University's Early Bird Tournament.