St. Andrews softball swept in opening-day doubleheader at Mount Olive

MOUNT OLIVE — The St. Andrews softball team lost a pair of opening-day matchups to NCAA Division II Mount Olive on Thursday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. The Lady Knights were run-ruled in both games with the Trojans picking up 8-0 and 12-0 victories.

St. Andrews falls to 0-2 with the losses; Mount Olive goes to 2-0.

Game 1

Hannah Killough tossed a no-hitter and finished with nine strikeouts and two walks to earn the win for Mount Olive.

St. Andrews fell behind 2-0 after the first inning, and 6-0 following the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, Mount Olive’s Adrianna Efird — a pinch hitter for Alyssa Smothers — recorded a two-RBI hit that led Cana Shrock and pinch runner Olivia Reardon to home plate to end the game.

Mount Olive’s Courtlynn Cooney had two hits, a run and an RBI, and Shrock had two runs and a hit.

Jara Valentina took the loss in the circle for St. Andrews, allowing two hits, runs and walks with a strikeout in three innings; Jaylin Joss allowed six hits and six runs in an inning of relief.

Game 2

An 11-run fourth inning propelled Mount Olive to its second win of the day.

St. Andrews started strong, stranding a Mount Olive runner through two innings, but Cooney’s hit in the third brought in McKenzie Millard for the game’s first run. In the fourth, four Trojan batters homered as part of the 11 runs; Kylie Emanuele and Laci Best soloed; Lark Collins’ was a two-RBI hit that scored Kayla Rudd from second base, and Efird’s to center field was also a two-RBI strike that helped Emanuele go home from second.

Taylor Maynard and pinch hitter Makenna McDaniel were the only Lady Knights to record a hit.

Emanuele finished with two hits, runs and RBIs for the Trojans; Millard closed with two hits and two runs; Best had two hits and a run; and Efird and Collins had a hit, a run and two RBIs each.

Mount Olive’s Callie Thornton was awarded the win for Mount Olive, pitching all five innings and allowing just two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.

St. Andrews’ Meghan Fritz suffered the loss, giving up six hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings; Ella Campbell and Charlee Mullins also pitched.