ALBANY, Ga.— The Montreat softball team hit the road for the first time this season on Thursday as the squad took its annual February trip to the state of Georgia. On the journey, the Cavaliers made a stop in Albany, Ga. for a non-conference doubleheader against the Albany State University Golden Rams, an NCAA Division II program. Thanks to some timely hitting and several strong pitching performances, the Cavs took both games, 5-1 and 4-0, sweeping the doubleheader and improving to 6-0 in the process.
 
Montreat scored the first four runs of game one and plated a run in five of the initial six innings as it marched toward victory. Jasmine Rachal, who was named NAIA SB Hitter of the Week on Wednesday, opened the visitors' scoring account with a first-frame RBI single.
 
Amayia Hernandez grew the edge to 2-0 via her 2-out RBI single to left in the top of the second. Dayton Kell expanded that advantage during the following inning when she drilled a leadoff solo shot, giving the Cavaliers seven homers through just five games, one more than the squad hit all of last season.
 
Alanna Hernandez and Makayla Reid delivered 2-out RBI doubles in the fifth and sixth innings to plate Montreat's final two runs. Albany State (1-3) registered a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, but that was all the Golden Rams could muster against the Cavs' pitching. Deanna Waddell tossed five strong frames, surrendering just five hits and a run for her third win of the season. Kendall Rubel hurled two perfect innings in relief to finish out the away side's 5-1 victory.
 
Three Cavaliers—Amayia Hernandez, Haley Fethke and Alanna Hernandez—racked up multiple hits in the opener, with the former two each notching a trio of knocks. Five different Cavs recorded an RBI in the road triumph.
 
Montreat began game two with a crooked number, scoring a trio of runs before ASU had the chance to bat. An error brought Amayia Hernandez home to break the ice, while Fethke and Kell each collected an RBI thanks to a single and a walk, respectively.
 
Another Albany State error plated Hannah Henderson in the top of the fourth as the visitors moved in front, 4-0. Those four runs proved to be more than enough for Victoria Alcantar, who once again dazzled in the pitcher's circle. Alcantar threw a complete-game shutout, striking out a pair of batters while allowing merely six hits. Between Alcantar's dominance and the early runs, Montreat cruised to a 4-0 win and the doubleheader sweep.
 
Amayia Hernandez (2-3) collected two of the Cavaliers' seven hits in game two, ending as the lone visiting batter with several knocks.
 
The Montreat softball team continues its Georgia trip with another non-conference doubleheader tomorrow at Fort Valley State University. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Fort Valley, Ga.