FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mounties Dominate Shaw by a Combined 25-0 to Conclude Raleigh Trip

RALEIGH, NC – Rachael Sterner belted her fifth home run of the season and drove in seven runs to lead Mansfield to a sweep over Shaw in Raleigh, NC on Wednesday afternoon.

Mansfield won the opener 11-0 on a combined one-hitter by Ashley Inman and Brooke Roys before taking the nightcap 14-0 behind Sierra Storm and Ari Young.

In the opener, Mansfield jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning as Rachael Sterner launched a two-run home run to score Melanie Taylor who walked to leadoff the game two batters earlier. Megan Miller and Ashley Inman both reached on errors before the Mounties eventually popped out to end the top of the inning.

Brooke Roys singled to center to start the second inning before advancing to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Casey Pearce. Melanie Taylor then reached on an error by Bears shortstop Britt Kline. A single by Amanda Goodwin knocked Roys home to extend the lead to 3-0. After a Sterner walk, the bases were loaded for Hannah Secord who hit a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Taylor. Goodwin scored on a double by Kayla Hahn and Sterner later scored the fourth run of the inning thanks to a single by Ashley Inman to left field.

After a pair of hitless innings from Ashley Inman, the Mounties held a 6-0 lead heading into the top of the third. Pearce walked and Taylor reached on a fielder's choice to start the inning. Another error by Kline allowed Pearce to advance to second on the play before Goodwin laced a double to left scoring Pearce. Taylor scored next on a sacrifice fly by Rachael Sterner to again extend the lead up to 8-0. Miller knocked in the ninth run of the game on a single to left scoring Goodwin. Hahn singled and Inman reached on another Bears error before a hard-luck lineout to second ended the inning with the bases loaded.

Inman recorded a third straight perfect inning to lead the Mountaineers into the fourth inning with a 9-0 lead. Chelsea Hammond and Casey Pearce reached on walks before a one-out walk from Erin Davidson loaded the bases again. Rachael Sterner reached on an error by Chris Ngeve plating Hammond to bump the lead to 10-0. Pearce would score on a single to left by Megan Miller to score the Mounties' 11th and final run of the game. 

Cha Jackson single on a bunt to end Inman's no-hit bid with one out in the 4th inning. Inman completed the inning unscathed and capped her four-inning one-hit performance. She struck out a pair of Bears and allowed no walks while earning her third win of the season. Brooke Roys came into the game in the fifth inning to close it out allowing no hits and one walk. 

The Mounties offense efficiently notched 11 runs on 10 hits in support of the combined one-hit performance by Inman and Roys.

The bats did not cool in the second game of the doubleheader as the Mounties again built an early lead in the top of the first inning. Melanie Taylor and Amanda Goodwin walked to start the game putting runners on second and third for Rachael Sterner. Sterner grounded out but Taylor came around from second to score the first run of the game. Megan Miller proceeded to double to center and score Goodwin from second. A single by Leah McGovern knocked in Miller to extend the lead to 3-0. Sierra Storm made quick work of the top of the Bears' lineup as she sat them down in order behind a pair of strikeouts and a popup. 

Koryn Wickwire led off the second by reaching on an error and Hannah Secord followed with a walk. With two outs, Rachael Sterner singled to left scoring Wickwire. The Sterner single extended the lead for Storm to 4-0 heading into the bottom of the second. After allowing a pair of singles, Storm regained her dominance from the first inning as she struck out another pair of Bears and forced a popup.

The Mounties had their biggest inning of the day in the top of the third when they scored six runs on six hits. Kayla Hahn walked and Leah McGovern singled to left to start the inning. Casey Pearce, who had entered as a pinch runner for Hahn, scored on a Laura Lawson single to left. Hannah Secord later singled to score Lawson pushing the lead to 6-0. Wickwire and Secord were the next to cross home thanks to a single by Melanie Taylor and a double by Amanda Goodwin. Sterner continued her torrid pace as she knocked in the fifth and sixth runs of the inning on a double sent to the opposite field. Storm recorded another scoreless inning despite allowing a single and double. 

Mansfield entered the fourth inning with a 10-0 lead but they were yet to be satisfied. Pearce walked and McGovern reached on an error by Bears center fielder Cha Jackson. A passed ball allowed them to advance to second and third before Lawson walked to load the bases with no outs. Wickwire singled bringing home Pearce and Hannah Secord singled to left to plate the 12th and 13th runs of the game. After a fielder's choice and an Amanda Goodwin walk, Kaitlyn Hewitt came in to pinch hit and knocked in the 14th and final run of the game on a single to center.

After three innings of shutout ball by Sierra Storm, Ari Young pitched the final two innings of the game allowing only one hit and striking out one. Combined, Storm and Young tossed a five-inning shutout allowing five hits and no walks while striking out five. Storm earned the win improving her record to 2-0 on the season.

Sterner finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run, double, walk, two runs scored, and seven runs batted in. Amanda Goodwin was a combined 3-for-5 as she walked twice, hit a pair of doubles, knocked in three runs, and scored four of her own. Megan Miller ended the afternoon 3-for-7 with one run, one double, and three runs batted in.

It was a dominant performance by both the batters and pitchers as the Mounties shut out Shaw by a combined score of 25-0. Inman, Roys, Storm, and Young pitched a total of 10 shutout innings while allowing only six hits and walking a single batter.

Mansfield is off on Thursday while they travel to Salem, Va. to take on Le Moyne at 1 p.m. and West Virginia Wesleyan at 3 p.m. on Friday.