ELIZABETH CITY, NC - Freshman Naomi Smout hit the first two home runs of her collegiate career and plated seven runs for Salem International University on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 26). The Tigers swept both games from Elizabeth City State University, 10-4 and 27-4 in NCAA Division II softball action.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final: Salem Int'l 10, Elizabeth City State University 4 (Game 1)
Salem Int'l 27, Elizabeth City State University 4 (Game 2)
Records: Salem Int'l (4-2), Elizabeth City State University (0-6)
Location: ECSU Softball Field | Elizabeth City, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Game One
  • Junior Kayla Lynch started game one for the Tigers and battled through seven innings of work for SIU.
  • The Vikings got onto the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a throwing error by the Tigers, allowing the runner on third base to score.
  • Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the fifth inning, junior Tori Butler scored freshman Morgan Atkinson with a sacrifice fly to center field, knotting the game 1-1 for the Tigers.
  • Elizabeth City answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning against Lynch and the Tigers to take a 4-1 lead.
  • Junior Hanna Crew trimmed the Vikings' lead to 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning with a single back up the middle and into center field.
  • Senior Vanessa Jimenez started the rally for the Tigers in the seventh inning with a RBI double to cut the deficit to 4-3.
  • Butler followed with an RBI triple to even the score. Freshman Rosey Romick would give the Tigers their first lead of the game (5-4), with her single that scored Butler.
  • Smout made it 8-4 SIU with her first three-run home run of the day. SIU would go on to plate two more runs in the top of the seventh inning.
  • Crew finished the game 4-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, while Atkinson went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Sydney McPherson went 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
  • Lynch (2-1) allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits in seven innings of work. She recorded 13 strikeouts and issued two walks.
• Game Two
  • Junior Katie Holestin got the start for SIU in game two and would get plenty of early offense from her teammates.
  • The Tigers struck first offensively against Alyssa Griffin in the top of the first inning, scoring 12 runs.
  • McPherson started off the scoring for SIU with her double to left center that made it 1-0. Butler would later deliver a double to center field to make it 8-0.
  • Smout cleared the bases for the Tigers with her second three-run home run of the day to give SIU a 12-0 lead.
  • The Vikings added four runs in the bottom of the first inning against Holestin and the Tigers.
  • SIU got the four runs back in the top of the second inning with Atkinson, Butler, Crew, and McPherson delivering RBI base-knocks to stretch the lead to 16-4.
  • The Tigers put another crooked number on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning, scoring 10 runs to make it 26-4.
  • Atkinson recorded a pair of RBIs in the frame to up her total in the game to four.
  • Holestin (2-1) allowed four runs (one earned) in five innings of work. Holestin fanned seven batters while issuing two free passes.
  • Butler finished the game 5-for-6 at the plate with four RBIs and four runs scored, while Crew went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBIs.
  • McPherson tallied three hits in six trips to the plate for SIU, driving in three runs, while Atkinson went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored.

UP NEXT:
The Tigers head to Charleston, West Virginia for a doubleheader against the University of Charleston on March 1. The games are scheduled for 2 and 4 p.m. SIU then plays at Glenville State on March 2 for a 1 and 3 p.m. doubleheader before heading to Florida.