STAUNTON, Va. — The Piedmont College softball team continued to roll on Thursday, picking up a pair of victories over Mary Baldwin College Thursday, 12-1 and 9-0, both in five innings. Piedmont has now won 10 in a row and sits atop the USA South with a 9-1 conference record.
The story of the day was Hannah Hoban who tied the NCAA-era record for home runs in a season with three deep shots on the day, a pair in the first contest and another in game two. Hoban now has seven home runs this season as a freshman and is one away from sole possession of the NCAA era record.
Hoban got the scoring started for the Lady Lions in game one with a solo shot in the top of the first for her first of two home runs in the game. Piedmont led it 3-1 after the third inning, but the Lady Lions put up eight runs in the top of the fourth to take control.
Hoban's second shot of the day was a grand slam in the fourth as Piedmont led it 8-1 at that point and won 12-1. Hoban was 3-for-4 with five RBI and two runs scored in game one while in the circle, it was Melissa Eckman who earned the win pitching the complete game giving up just three hits and one run while striking out six batters.
In game two it remained scoreless until the fourth inning when Audrey Esakoff hit a two-RBI home run helping Piedmont to a 5-0 lead after the fourth and the Lady Lions made quick business of it ending it early with four more runs in the fifth inning.
Avery Migues earned the win tossing a two hit shutout in five innings while striking out two. Hoban was 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored making her an impressive 6-for-7 with eight RBI and four runs scored in the double header.
Piedmont travels to Rocky Mount, N.C., to take on N.C. Wesleyan on Friday, then Methodist University on Saturday.
