CARY, N.C. – Two-run home runs made all the difference in a pair of games for Mansfield on Saturday.
 
Rachel Sterner hit a two-run blast that lifted the Mountaineers past Fairmont State 2-1 in the morning before a two-run homer by Chowan in the top of the seventh gave the Braves a 4-3 victory in the afternoon.
 
In game one, Sterner hit her first home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning to score a pair of runs. Last season, Sterner led the Mounties with nine round trippers.
 
Fairmont State (2-5, 0-0 MEC) produced a run in the top of the third to halve the Mansfield (3-1, 0-0 PSAC) lead.
 
The Mountaineer offense put a runner in scoring position in each of the next four innings, but was unable to push across any insurance runs.
 
Mansfield starting pitched Ari Young blanked the Falcons through the next four innings to maintain the 2-1 lead heading into the seventh. FSU's Taylor Wells reached with a one-out single in the top of the seventh and moved into scoring position after a dropped third strike put runners on first and second. Young retired the final two batters for her second win in the circle in as many days.
 
Young allowed just four hits through 7.0 innings with five strikeouts and one walk.
 
Taylor Chidester went 2-for-2 with a run and a walk in the game.
 
In game two, Chowan was first to get on the board with a run in the top of the third inning. However, the Mounties responded with Deshae Jones belting a lead-off triple before scoring on an Alli McGovern RBI single. Chidester motored around the bases for her first career triple two at bats later to plate McGovern followed by a Sterner RBI single to make it 3-1 Mansfield.
 
After two scoreless innings, Chowan's Brittany Parson made it a one-run game with her solo shot to left center field. Leslie Fritz got the Mounties out of a jam, coming in on relief duty with runners on second and third where she forced an inning-ending ground out.
 
In the top of the seventh, Parson delivered what would prove to be the winning runs with a two-run home run, this time to right field.
 
Chidester was feet away from hitting the game-tying home run in the bottom of the frame, but it came up just short. Laura Lawson struck a two-out double, but the Mounties were unable to rally for the win.
Shannon Buchanan pitched 7.0 with 10 hits and four strikeouts to earn the win. Fritz took the loss in relief.
 
McGovern, Sterner and Kayla Hahn each recorded two hits in the game.
 
Mansfield concludes the Shaw Softball Challenge on Sunday against Queens of Charlotte.