FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama softball team improved to 21-4 on the season with a home double-header sweep against Montevallo on Wednesday. UNA won the opener 11-0 in five innings before rallying for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap. With the two wins, the Lions are unbeaten against Montevallo this season, outscoring the Falcons 32-2 in four games.
Most of the offensive output for the day came in the bottom of the second inning of the opener. UNA sent 17 batters to the plate, scoring 11 runs off nine hits to break open a scoreless game. A two-run home run by Brooklynn Clark started the scoring. Avery Godson and Bailey Nelson also had RBI-singles in the frame while Clark and Ashley Bonner drove in runs on multiple at-bats.
Clark added an RBI-single in the inning while Bonner had a pair of run-scoring hits. Courtney Shields also added a two-run double.
UNA wrapped up the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. For the game, Bonner and Godwin each went 2-for-2 at the plate. Clark was 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Bree Blevins recorded the pitching victory to improve to 9-2 on the season. She stuck out seven batters and scattered three hits in four innings before turning over pitching duties to Ashton Edwards. Edwards retired three of four batters faced in the top of the fifth.
In the second game, Montevallo took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning. Godwin walked to reach base and later scored on a double to left field by Libby Olinger to tie the score.
In the sixth, the Lions took the lead for good. A double by Bonner was followed by a two-run home run by Brittany Gillison to give UNA a 3-1 lead. The extra insurance run proved to be huge in the top of the seventh. Montevallo had runners at second and third with one out. After the Falcons scored from third on a foul out down the left line, the potential tying run was thrown out at the plate.
Gillison, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth, was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI. Bonner added two more hits to finish the day 4-for-5 at the plate.
Hillary Carpenter got the complete-game victory in the circle. She stuck out five and walked two to improve to 10-2 on the year.
UNA will return to Gulf South Conference action this weekend with a three-game series at Union. The two teams will play at double-header beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday. There will also be a single game at 1 p.m. the following day on the UU campus in Jackson, Tenn.
