Gallagher Reaches 400 Win Milestone in Mounties' Sweep

RALEIGH, N.C. – Head coach Edith Gallagher became the first female coach in school history to reach the 400 win milestone Friday when Mansfield beat St. Augustine's 8-0 and Elizabeth City State 9-0 in the opening day of the Shaw University Softball Challenge in Raleigh.

The Mountaineers got two standout pitching performances with senior Ashley Inman and sophomore Sierra Storm both throwing two-hit shutouts.

In the opener, Mansfield scored an unearned run in the second inning and held a 1-0 lead until Inman drilled a two-run home run over the centerfield fence to go up 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning.

Megan Miller followed with a two-run home run of her own in the fifth inning and the Mountaineers scored three more unearned runs later in the inning to take an 8-0 advantage.

Inman picked up her second win of the season scattering two hits and striking out eight batters.

In the nightcap, the Mountaineers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first when Melanie Taylor led off the game with a bunt single and later scored on a passed ball. Mansfield added two more runs in the third off errors to take a 3-0 lead.

A lead-off single by Leah McGovern in the bottom of the sixth inning turned into the Mountaineer's fourth run after Hannah Secord ripped a run-scoring double down the left field line. Koryn Wickwire followed with another double to drive in Secord, increasing the lead to 5-0 with Taylor hitting the third double of the inning to put Mansfield up 6-0.

Amanda Goodwin singled in Taylor before Rachael Sterner belted a two-run home run to end the game.

Storm pitched her way out of a jam with runners on first and second in the top of the sixth in picking up her first career shutout while striking out seven and walking three.

Gallagher's 400 wins are the most by a female coach in the history of Mansfield University athletics. She is second overall to Harry Hillson's 844 wins in baseball for all Mountaineer coaches.

Gallagher took over the helm of the Mountaineer softball program prior in 1992 after serving as assistant coach during the 1991 season.

Now in her 25th season as head coach, Gallagher won the first game in her head coaching career when the Mountaineers opened the 1992 season with a 4-3 win over William Patterson.

She picked up her 100th win by beating Allentown College 4-1 early in the 1999 season and earned her 200th victory in a 10-0 shutout over Virginia Union in 2004.

Gallagher became the first female head coach to reach the 300 win milestone with a 8-0 win over Averett University in the eighth game of the 2010 season.

Mansfield plays Alderson-Broaddus and Chowan Saturday.