DOBSON, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College softball team earned its first wins of the season on Saturday with a road sweep against Surry Community College.
Both wins for the Red Hawks against the Knights came via a five-inning run rule.
Catawba Valley 10, Surry 0 (five innings - game one)
Catawba Valley rolled in the opener against the Knights on Saturday powered by a pair of home runs and a dominant start on the mound from Reagan Garrett.
The Red Hawks scored in three of their first four innings, including a two‑run first inning. First baseman Courtney Dean delivered a two‑RBI single to left, scoring both Alexa Moya and Gionna Mehrtens.
CVCC broke the game open in the third with four runs. Centerfielder Andi Stroud singled home a run before third baseman Paige Ford launched a two‑run homer. One batter later, left fielder Samantha Gregory added another solo shot, extending the lead to 6–0.
Catawba Valley kept the pressure on in the fourth. Stroud doubled in two more runs, and Ford followed with a two RBI double of her own, pushing the CVCC advantage to 10–0. Ford finished Saturday's game with four RBIs, while Stroud added three. The Red Hawks totaled 11 hits.
On the mound, Reagan Garrett earned the win with four shutout innings. She allowed six hits and struck out three batters. Ford closed out the game with a scoreless fifth.
Catawba Valley 10, Surry 0 (five innings - game two)
Powered by a 13‑hit outburst and a combined three‑hit shutout from pitchers Paige Ford and Emily McKie, Catawba Valley cruised to another win over Surry in Saturday's finale,
The Red Hawks wasted no time putting the game out of reach, sending 13 batters to the plate in a nine‑run first inning. CVCC tallied seven hits in the opening frame, including RBI singles from Finlee Young, Courtney Dean, Andi Stroud, Mallory Hines and Gionna Mehrtens. Young drove in three runs in the inning, while Hines and Mehrtens each knocked in two.
Catawba Valley added its final run in the fifth when Alexa Moya singled to score Stroud. Moya finished the night 3‑for‑4 with two runs and an RBI. Young went 2‑for‑3 with three RBIs, and Stroud added two hits, two runs and an RBI. In all, the Red Hawks tallied 13 hits.
Paige Ford earned the victory on the mound with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits with no walks. Emily McKie pitched the final two innings, giving up one hit to complete the combined shutout. Neither pitcher issued a walk.
The Catawba Valley Community College softball team returns to action this weekend for the JUCO Jamboree, which is hosted by CVCC, Caldwell CCT&I and Patrick & Henry at Stanford Park next to the Highland Rec Center in Hickory. Other teams participating include Cleveland, Pitt, College of Southern Maryland, CCBC Catonsville, Delta College (Mich.) and Gennese Community College (N.Y.).
The Red Hawks play on Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. against College of Southern Maryland and CCBC Catonsville (Md.) before finishing the event with a 3 p.m. contest against Patrick & Henry.