MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Anna Turvin tossed a six-hit shutout and Karen Thornton broke a scoreless tie with a two-run single in the second inning as Mount Olive defeated Lander 3-0 in game one of a non-conference softball doubleheader Sunday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. Lander took the nightcap 3-0 as Natalie Smith's two-run single capped a three-run fourth inning. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
Mount Olive (2-2) loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second on walks to Aubrey Reinhard and Sam Degraves, and a single by Allison Czerski. Thornton then sent a 3-2 pitch up the middle, scoring Reinhard and Degraves to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead.
Kelly Minshew led off the bottom of the third with a double off the left field fence, advanced to third on Jazzmine Lee's sacrifice and scored on an error.
Turvin (2-0) struck out three and walked none. Lander (2-12) got a runner in scoring position in each of the first two innings on a two-out double by Carrie Hudson in the first and a one-out double by Brianna Huckabee in the second. But Turvin was able to escape both times.
A bizarre play in the top of the sixth kept Lander off the scoreboard as Trojan left fielder Kat Cahoon was unable to make a diving catch on Natalie Smith's sinking line drive. The ball caromed off of Cahoon's glove in shallow left-center to shortstop Minshew, who threw Smith out at second. Minshew's play loomed large after Hudson belted her second double of the day, but Turvin got out of the inning on a line out to center.
In the second game, Mount Olive loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second on walks to Reinhard and Courtney Wallace sandwiched around a check swing single by Bailey Harrell. But Lander pitcher Jenna Kellett (1-4) escaped on an infield pop-up and a fly out to left.
Trojan starter Jenny Jackson (0-2) held Lander hitless until Daisy Stewart singled after Hudson drew a one-out walk. Haley Foster followed with a double to bring in the first run. After Jackson got the second out on a pop-up to second, Smith lined a single to center to bring in two more runs.
Mount Olive had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the fifth as Minshew led off with a single up the middle, Jackson reached on a two-out infield single and Reinhard drew a walk. But Kellett got out of the jam with a strikeout. The Trojans left nine runners on base.
Kellett, who threw 126 pitches, retired the side in order in the sixth and Aerin Phillips pitched a perfect seventh for her first save of the season.
