FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.- The Setters continued their strong start to their season as they swept Fayetteville State to improve to 6-0 on the season. Pace took the opener 8-0 in five innings and completed the sweep with a 9-4 win in the nightcap. Fayetteville State falls to 3-24 overall.
In the opener, Pace broke through in the third inning as Hana Wright (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) drove in a pair of runs with a double, while Rachael McMahon (Corona, CA/Esperanza) (Corona, CA/Esperanza) also had a two-run double as the Setters went up 4-0. Lana Buchbinder (San Francisco, CA/George Washington) (San Francisco, CA/George Washington) hit a sac fly in the inning to give the Setters a 5-0 lead. The Setters added a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth as the Setters took the opener 8-0.
Nicole Schultheis (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) went 3-for-4 in the game and scored twice while Natalie Gellos (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. On the hill, freshman Kayla Hill (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison High School) (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison) tossed a one-hitter to earn her first collegiate win as she struck out five.
In the nightcap, Lauren Bell (New Windsor, NY/Newburgh Free Academy) (New Windsor, NY/Newburgh Free) singled and scored on a Gellos double. Wright drove in Gellos with a double as Pace took a 2-0 lead. The Broncos scored one in the first and took the lead with three runs in the third for a 4-2 lead.
The Setters rallied with three runs in the fourth as Chelsea Shea (Babylon, NY/West Babylon) (Babylon, NY/West Babylon) drove in one run with a double, while Pace scored two runs on an error and wild pitch to take a 5-4 lead. Shea added to the Setters lead in the fifth with a two-run double, while Bell's RBI double in the sixth and Shea's two-bagger in the seventh gave Pace some insurance runs.
Bell went 2-for-3 in the game with two runs scored, while Shea went 3-for-4 with four RBI's in the game. Colby Hochmuth (Delanson, NY/Duanesburg) tossed four innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and struck out five to pick up her first win of the season. Shea went the final three innings, allowing only two hits as she struck out four to earn her first save of the season.
The Setters are back in action on Wednesday March 14 when they will travel to Chowan University in Murfreesboro, NC for a doubleheader starting at noon.
