GREENSBORO, N.C. - It was a toasty one at Haworth Field for the early senior day festivities for Kaci Johnson (Winterville, N.C.) as the Guilford College softball team (11-17, 2-8 ODAC) leveled Sweet Briar College (14-14, 1-9 ODAC) 11-3 in five innings in game one before clinching the second win 3-2, thanks to Shiloh Gray's (Lexington, N.C.) flyout to right center to bring Olivia Shelton (Stokesdale, N.C.) home in extra innings on Saturday afternoon. The full Senior Day ceremony will take place on the final Saturday of the season.

With the win, Guilford snapped a conference skid and looks to build momentum in the back half of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) slate.

Game One:

In the circle for Guilford, it was Gray (4-5) who was awarded the win after pitching a complete game, striking out two alongside giving up just three earned runs and six hits. Abi Sawyers (5-5) took the L as she conceded eight runs (four earned), walked two, surrendered nine hits, and only struckout one in four innings. Anna Smith was the reliever for the Vixens for 0.2 innings, allowing three hits and runs a piece along with walking two.

All of the firepower the Vixens had in this game stemmed from the first inning — and the first inning only. Victoria Tew, who went 1-for-3, singled to second base to collect her only RBI on the day, bringing Jordan Martin home while Lauren Jamerson advanced to third. Tew would then steal second as Jamerson scored on a throwing error. Soon after, Sawyers, who went 2-for-3, singled up the middle for an RBI to have Tew score Sweet Briar's final run.

The Quakers opened their offense with intensity as they scored two runs from Shelton and Gray capitalizing on a passed ball and a defensive miscue. GC took full control in the second, posting a three-run inning fueled by heads-up baserunning and timely hitting. Brooke Goyings (Lake Villa, Ill.) scored thanks to a Shelton RBI before Shelton joined the fun by getting an unearned run on a fielding error. Kalissa Williams (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) cracked an RBI single to allow Riley Murrish (Boerne, Texas) to home plate. Sweet Briar never regained momentum as Guilford piled on throughout the game.

Goyings added another run in the third for good measure before the flood gates reopened for Guilford in the fourth and fifth innings. Williams ended the day 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Gray went 3-for-4, two RBIs, and two runs, Shelton had a career-high day of runs scored with three alongside going 1-for-3, an RBI, and getting walked once. Murrish also reached her season high in runs with two. The freshman went 2-for-4 while Corryn McCutchen (Carthage, N.C.) added a run for the Quakers as well.

Game Two:

Dillon Northen (Kernersville, N.C.) (4-2) picked up the win in relief, tossing three shutout innings while allowing no hits and striking out two. Abbey Whelan (Gaithersburg, Md.) came out the gate for the Quakers, pitching in 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits, striking out three, and giving up only two runs. Alyssa O'Quinn (4-4) was tagged with the loss, striking out five over 7.2 innings. She allowed six hits and two earned runs as well.

GC and SBC went toe-to-toe in a tightly contested matchup that saw solid pitching and key defensive plays from both sides. Murrish, who went 1-for-3, drove in a run with a groundout in the third to bring Shelton home before adding a single in the fifth. Chloee Stoner (Salisbury, N.C.) doubled and scored in the fourth, aided by aggressive baserunning and a heads-up bunt RBI by Morgan Singletary. After being placed on second via international tiebreaker rules, Shelton advanced to third on a sac bunt by Murrish and scored on Gray's deep flyout to right-center. Shelton sparked the Quakers with two stolen bases and the game-winning run in the eighth. Gray was one of several contributors at the plate for Guilford, finishing 1-for-4 with an RBI double and the game-ending sacrifice fly.

Sweet Briar showed grit throughout, taking early leads in both the second and sixth innings. Grace Rokos led the way for the Vixens, going 2-for-2 with a double, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Jamerson added a double and later scored to tie the game at 2-2.

The Panthers of Ferrum College are the next ODAC opponents for Guilford as they play at home on Tuesday, April 8. First pitch is at 3:00 PM while game two's start time is expected to be at 5:00 PM.

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