SARASOTA, Fla. - NCF Softball's red-hot start to the season continued Monday as it swept a doubleheader from Cleary University winnng Game 1 9-1 and Game 2 12-0 with both games ending in five innings via the run-rule.
With the wins, the Mighty Banynas are off to a program-best start at 14-1 overall.
"We have really rallied around this idea that we are much better collectively than individually with true buy-in to that thought process," head coach Corbin Weeks said postgame. "I'm hoping it continues to carry us through Sun Conference play."
Game 1
NCF jumped all over the Cougars in the opener plating five runs in the bottom of the first highlighted by a bases-clearing double by
Karyna Lewis.
The Mighty Banynas added four more in the bottom of the second thanks to a bases-clearing double from
Rylie Harwood and an RBI single from
Jamie Reinhardt, making it 9-0.
With a huge lead in hand,
Dani Ebert cruised on the mound, pitching a five-inning complete-game in which she allowed just one run, struck out four, did not issue a walk and surrendered only six hits as she improved to 3-0 on the season.
Game 2
The Mighty Banyans once again built a big early lead in Game 2 as it scored seven runs in the first inning, as
Samantha Suarez hit an RBI single, Â
Mackenzie Mathers lifted a sac-fly, Reinhardt,
Kira McDonough and
Jill Halas hit RBI singles and Â
Kaitlin Kohlenberg smacked a two-run single.
A sac-fly from McDonough made it 8-0 in the bottom of the second and in the bottom of the third, Arianna  Thomason came off the bench and delivered an RBI single and Mathers slugged her team-leading third home run of the season, a three-run shot to make it 12-0.
In the circle,
Sydney Rich improved to 4-0 on the season, tossing a five-inning complete-game shutout in which she struck out one and allowed just five hits
Up Next: NCF will travel to Jacksonville Friday to take on Trinity College of Jacksonville in a double-header starting at 2 p.m. EST.
