College Softball Finals: Guilford 9–16, Salem 1–4

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Cynthia Hayes (Seagrove, N.C./Southwestern Randolph) went five-for-seven and drove in three runs with two doubles in Guilford College’s doubleheader sweep of Salem College. The Quakers (14-12) defeated the Spirits (5-17) in game one, 9-1, and earned the game two victory 16-4. Both games concluded after five innings.

After Salem took a 1-0 lead through one inning, the Quakers began their rally when Autumn Yoder doubled to right center to take a 2-1 lead. Hayes reached on a fielding error at second base to drive in two runs, then reached home on the next at-bat when Brittany Donathan (Archdale, N.C./Trinity) hit an infield single to cap the five-run second inning. Donathan added to her RBI total in the fourth inning on single to left center field, driving in two more runs to end the game with three RBI. Rachel Howard hit into a fielder’s choice that brought home another run on the throw to first base, which set up Sloane King (Asheboro, N.C./Southwestern Randolph) to drive in the game’s final run on a single to center field.

Casey Snead (3-1) took the complete-game win, surrendering just one run and three hits while striking out five.

The Quakers jumped on Salem early in game two with a six-run first inning. Hayes picked up her first RBI and double to start the rally. Ashley Boteler connected on a two-run home run to left field to increase the lead. Maggie Shaffer grounded out to bring in another run setting up Tara Wagner, who hit a single to center field the next at-bat. Yoder then reached on an error, driving home Wagner to cap the six-run rally. Salem countered in the third when Kierston Garner hit a three-run home run to left field. The Quakers put up another six-run inning in the third when Hayes drove home two runs on a single up the middle. Boteler added her third RBI of the day on a single to right field. Sarah Cutright later hit a double to left field, driving in Hayes. Marty Wilcox capped the inning with a two-RBI single to left field. The Quakers added two more runs in the fourth when Calli Pastor knocked a home run into left center field and Cutright picked up her second RBI of the day on a single.

Maggie Shaffer (3-4) picked up the win in three innings of work. Boteler relieved Shaffer in the top of the fourth and retired six of seven batters faced while striking out three.

Hayes finished the doubleheader five-for-seven with two doubles and three RBI while reaching base on all seven at-bats. Cutright also went five-for-seven over both games, including four-for-four in game two.

The Quakers return to the field Saturday, hosting Sweet Briar College at 1 p.m. inside Haworth Field on Guilford’s Score for the Cure Day benefitting the American Cancer Society.