BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat softball team hosted the Columbia International University Rams Saturday afternoon as part of its senior day festivities. Playing the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) twin bill at Roxy Hines Softball Field, the Cavaliers won a pair of pitchers' duels. With the 2-1 victory in game one and the 1-0 nine-inning triumph in game two, the Cavs improved to 27-13 (15-7 AAC) on the year.
Montreat's wins over Columbia International (17-21, 10-12 AAC) marked its first sweep of the Rams since 2020. The 15 AAC wins are also the program's most in a single season since at least 2004.
Victoria Alcantar held the visitors in check during the initial matchup, facing the minimum through three frames. Making just her second start in the circle this year, Alcantar didn't surrender a run until CIU notched a two-out double in the top of the sixth. That proved to be all the Rams could muster against Alcantar across seven frames. The senior ultimately allowed six hits while striking out six batters.
The Cavaliers found their breakthrough in the bottom of the fifth.
Maggie Knight and
Haley Fethke recorded back-to-back RBI doubles, handing the hosts a 2-0 lead through five. Those two runs were all Alcantar needed to wrap up a 2-1 ballgame and secure her third win of the campaign.
Both sides registered six knocks during the opener.
Elizabeth Gergen tallied two of those hits, while Knight and Fethke plated
Abigail Wyatt and
Makenzie Ritchie, respectively.
Game two proved to be an even tighter battle as it took nine innings to score the contest's lone run.
Carter Thornton threw a complete game earlier in the week, and she improved on that recipe by tossing two extra innings while giving up one fewer run. A native of Downey, Idaho, Thornton hurled nine complete frames, surrendering six hits and zero runs. The California State University, Bakersfield transfer also struck out six Rams to seize her ninth win of the year.
Alanna Hernandez capped off Montreat's senior day sweep with a walk-off bloop single. The senior from Ventura, Calif. served a ball into shallow left center where CIU's shortstop was unable to make an over-the-shoulder running grab. Once the ball hit the grass,
Makayla Reid scampered home for the 1-0 nine-inning victory.
Like game one, game two also featured six hits from each squad. Reid totaled three of those six knocks, including the game's lone extra-base hit.
Montreat makes its final road trip of the 2025 regular season on Wednesday when takes on Kentucky Christian University. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm. in Grayson, Ky.
