FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Inman Puts Mounties Over Virginia State.
 
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Ashley Inman went 2-4 at the plate with 11 strikeouts on the mound to lead Mansfield to their first victory of the 2015 season over Virginia State 6-0 at the Shaw University Softball Challenge.
 
The first inning was a pitching duel as both Inman and Virginia State's Lindsey Wilkins retired the side.
 
Kaitlyn Hewitt had the first hit of the game to left field in the top of the second on a full count, but would be left stranded going into the bottom of the inning.
 
Virginia State came knocking in the bottom of the third, but with Tatyana Jordan on third with two outs, Inman kept her cool as she recorded her fifth strikeout of the game to get the Mounties out of trouble.
 
In the top of the fourth, Megan Miller recorded the second hit of the game on a single to right field. Freshman Melanie Taylor came on to pinch run for Miller, and was moved to second on a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Hewitt. With two outs, Inman hit Taylor home on an RBI triple to put Mansfield up 1-0.
 
Wilkins tried to get a two-out rally started for Virginia State on a single to second, but Inman struck out Krysten Davis to end the fourth inning.
 
Laura Lawson recorded her first hit on the season with a one-out single up the middle in the top of the fifth. Lawson made it around to third, but was left stranded on a groundout to Maya Bailey.
 
Inman continued her impressive performance in the bottom of fifth with three strikeouts to bring her total to nine K's.
 
In the top of the sixth, Amanda Goodwin got on base from a fielding error and stole second on a heads-up play to lead the Mounties. The junior scored on an RBI single from Miller to bring the score to 2-0. Inman would put runners on the corners with one out on a single to centerfield. Kayla Hahn hit a single up the middle to bring freshman Casey Pearce, Miller's pinch runner, home. Inman would then score on a fielding error to make the score 4-0.
 
With Rebecca Elder now pitching for Wilkins, Lawson hit a two-out RBI single to center to advance Hahn to second. Both Lawson and Hahn went on to score on a throwing error to make the score 6-0.
 
With two outs on the board, Virginia State's Cameryn Smith hit a single to centerfield, but Davis grounded out to Goodwin to end the sixth inning.
 
Koryn Wickwire tried to add to the Mountaineer total as she singled to left field with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Edler's second strikeout of the day left Wickwire stranded.
 
Inman recorded her 11^th strikeout of the day in the bottom of the seventh as the Mounties went on to shutout the Trojans.
 
Inman (1-0) was the winning pitcher for Mansfield (1-0) with only two hits and three walks against the junior. Wilkins (1-3) picked up the loss for Virginia State (2-4) with seven hits against her.
 
Mansfield was led at the plate by Inman (4-2, one RBI, one run), Miller (4-2, one RBI) and Lawson (2-3, one run).