Red Hawks sweep Koalas behind Lail’s perfect game

Red Hawks sweep Koalas behind Lail’s perfect game

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College softball team extended its winning streak to seven games on Monday with a road doubleheader sweep against the Columbia College Koalas.

With the victories, the Red Hawks improve to 8-2 overall on the season.

Game one: Catawba Valley 9, Columbia 1 (six innings)

The Red Hawks tallied 11 hits, including three each off the bats of Jessica Cannon and Grace Andrews, to earn a run-rule victory in game one of the set against the Koalas.

Catawba Valley led 2-0 through four complete innings, but scored seven runs combined in the fifth and sixth innings to pull away for the eight-run win.

Camryn Bryant, Chesney Stikeleather and Andrews all drove in team-high two runs each for CVCC.

Red Hawk pitcher Jillian Jones earned her third win of the spring. She allowed six hits, one run, no walks and struck out five batters in her six-inning performance.

Game two: Catawba Valley 3, Columbia 0

Freshman Mayson Lail recorded the second perfect game in Red Hawk softball history in a game two shutout against the Koalas.

Lail struck out 12 batters in her perfect game performance, extending her scoreless streak to 19 innings.

Offensively, Jessica Cannon, Chesney Stikeleather, Emma Kuproski and Alyssa Kropski all tallied two hits each for Catawba Valley. Stikeleather drove in all three Red Hawk runs.

The Catawba Valley Community College softball team returns to action this weekend for four games in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The Red Hawks face Howard Community College and Massachusetts Maritime JV on Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. before finishing play on Sunday with games against Danville Area Community College at noon and USC Sumter at 2 p.m.