Southern swept

Salem CC softball and baseball teams both suffer sweeps on their Southern swings

SALEM CC SOFTBALL
Wake Tech 9-11, Salem CC 8-4
SALEM CC BASEBALL
Prairie State 13-11, Salem CC 6-6

RALEIGH, N.C. – Salem CC’s softball southern swing got off to a soggy start and it didn’t go much better when they finally got on the field. The Mighty Oaks were swept by Wake Tech 9-8 and 11-4.

Their opening doubleheader with Southeastern CC-Whiteville Monday was washed out and pushed back to Thursday. They lost Tuesday’s opener on a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh then couldn’t get a shutdown inning in the nightcap.

Brianne Foster’s bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the seventh decided the opener. 

The Mighty Oaks (4-2) rallied from deficits of 1-0, 6-3 and 8-5 to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Callie Rozak and Ella Hayes both hit two-run homers for Salem.

In the nightcap, Wake Tech (7-6) answered Salem’s 1-0 lead with a run in the second, erased Salem’s 2-1 lead with three in the third and scored four in the bottom of the fourth after the Mighty Oaks tied the game with two in the top of the inning.

BASEBALL
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Mighty Oaks were swept for the second straight day on their Florida trip, losing to Prairie State (Ill.) 13-6 and 11-6.

The Mighty Oaks (3-9) took a 3-2 lead into the fifth inning of the opener, but the Pioneers (3-3) erupted for eight runs to control of the game. Tyler Hacker hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning for Salem.

Jon Gambone followed his no-hitter with four solid innings for the Mighty Oaks. He gave up six hits, one earned run and struck out three without walking a batter.

A big inning did them in in the nightcap, too. The Mighty Oaks led 2-0 in the second, but the Pioneers scored three in the bottom of the second and six in the third.

Hacker had two more hits for Salem and pitched the final three innings without giving up a hit, but walking three and allowing an unearned run. Jason LeBold had two doubles and Chris Laute had two RBIs.