CNU Box Score | Peace Box Score

Fayetteville, NC -- The Piedmont College softball team grabbed a pair of wins in the Early Bird Invitational Tournament hosted by Methodist University to finish 4-0 in tournament action this weekend.  The Lady Lions first defeated nationally ranked Christopher Newport University 2-0 before rolling a 4-0 shutout of Peace College in an afternoon battle.

In the Lady Lions first contest of the day, Piedmont would face a familiar foe in nationally ranked Christopher Newport University who had defeated PC 3-2 in the opening game of the 2010 NCAA Regional hosted by the Captains. CNU advanced to the 2010 College World Series coming within two wins of playing in the national championship game but needed a come-from-behind effort to defeat the Lady Lions in last year's regional.

Piedmont ensured that there would be no comeback in this morning's contest as the squad's pitching once again took over for 13th year Head Coach Terry Martin. Senior starter #B.J. Cofer# shut down the 14th ranked Captains not allowing a single run on the board for CNU while giving up just four hits and striking out six in the complete game performance.

With the score tied at zeros, it was sophomore Megan Kesler who provided the offensive punch for the Lady Lions collecting an RBI scoring teammate Jamie Dennis. The third baseman scored after being bunted to second by the pitcher Cofer earlier in the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Piedmont would extend their 1-0 lead to two as Raley White reached on a bunt single later scoring on a base hit off the wall courtesy of Emily Cheek. Those pair of Lady Lion runs would be all the PC defense needed to post a 2-0 shutout win over the nationally ranked Captains.

In the two run victory, Cheek and Kesler led the way each going 1-3 at the dish with an RBI apiece while White scored a run and collected a stolen base. Cofer got the win on the mound to move to a perfect 3-0 on the season in her trio of starts for PC.

Game two of the day for the Lady Lions would be a 4-0 victory over Peace College to give Piedmont a perfect 4-0 record at the Early Bird Invitational hosted by Methodist University. Against the Pacers, youngster Brittney Head continued PC's pitching dominance going all seven innings tossing a one-hitter while striking out nine on the day.

PC scored early getting a pair of first inning runs off the bat of LAUREN HEAD whose base knock scored teammates White and Taylor Morgan to give PC a 2-0 advantage. White's single and Morgan reaching on a hit by pitch earlier in the inning was what put the two base runners on with a chance to score.

In the fifth inning, Piedmont's Rebecca Renfroe single-handedly manufactured a run after drawing a walk to reach safely. The infielder then stole second and third base before alertly getting across home plate on a wild pitch as Renfroe's score represented the final run of PC's 4-0 victory.

On the weekend, Piedmont's pitching staff took the spotlight as a pair of PC pitchers in Cofer and Head pitched 14 innings a piece to get four complete game wins for the squad. In 28 innings of work, neither pitcher allowed an earned run as the staff has only allowed only a pair of earned runs in the 2011 season.

The victories move PC to a perfect 6-0 on the season as the Lady Lions went 4-0 in weekend tournament action. Piedmont will now have about a week to wait until they get back on the diamond when the team travels to Memphis, TN to compete in the Rhodes College Spring Invitational. The Lady Lions will kick off tourney action with a 10:00 morning game on Friday, March 5 against Millikin University.