ANDERSON, S.C. - Using an 11-hit attack in game one and stellar pitching in game two, the Anderson University softball team swept its season-opening doubleheader with Conference Carolinas' opponent Lees-McRae, 10-5 and 3-0, Saturday at Smethers Field.

Anderson (2-0) won its fifth straight decision over Lees-McRae, which fell to 0-2 with the sweep.

Game #1
Anderson 10, Lees-McRae 5
Second baseman Jessica Neidigh was 3-for-4 with three singles in the opener and with her third-inning single to right field, the senior set a new school record with her 246th career base hit. Freshman catcher Cailah Niles was a perfect 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and four RBI in her first collegiate contest, while senior Rebecca Martin added a single and a double and drove in a pair of runs and crossed the plate twice. Freshman shortstop Carli Hurtado notched a pair of singles and reached base all four times, while scoring twice.

Sophomore hurler Lauren Rudesheim collected the win, tossing five full innings and surrendering five runs (two earned) on eight hits. She struck out seven Bobcats and walked three. Freshman Chelsea Jones struck out all six Lees-McRae batters she faced in two innings of relief.

Lees-McRae jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead after posting a solo run in the first inning and adding two more in the top of the second frame. The Trojans answered with a run in the bottom of the second when Czentnar reached on an error with one out, stole second and scored on Niles' hard-hit single down the left-field line.

The Bobcats pushed their lead to 4-1 with another run in the top of the third inning, with AU responding with Martin and Neidigh leading off with back-to-back singles and Molly Child brought Martin home by bouncing out to the second baseman.

The Trojan defense held Lees-McRae scoreless for the first time in the top of the fourth inning, while AU sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame and evened the score at 4-4 when Hurtado and Niles crossed the plate with one out.

After Lees-McRae regained the lead with a run in the top of the fifth, the Trojans batted around and erupted for six runs to claim a five-run lead. Niles provided the game-winning hit with a two-run double, while Jones recorded a three-run double to right-center in her final at-bat of the game.

Game #2
Anderson 3, Lees-McRae 0
Sophomore outfielder Courtney Czentnar was 2-for-3 with a single and a double in the nightcap, while Niles and fellow freshman Rachel Barefield each hammered their first career home runs in the shutout.

Sophomore Augie Pena went six innings in the circle for the Trojans, striking out eight batters while walking just one and surrendering just one hit - a first-inning single back up the middle. Jones struck out two of the three Bobcat batters she faced in an inning of relief to earn the save and the two hurlers combined to allow just one runner to reach scoring position in the contest.

The Trojans threatened in the second inning when Barefield and Czentnar ripped back-to-back one-out singles to left field in the bottom inning, but AU was unable to capitalize and came away empty-handed. Two innings later, Niles and Barefield provided the pitching staff with all the runs they would need, as the pair of newcomers belted solo homers beyond the fence in center field and right-center, respectively to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead to start the home fourth inning.

Czentnar added another insurance run for the Black and Gold in the sixth inning, as she laced a one-out double to center field and crossed the plate when senior Bri Cason followed with a double to the gap in left-center.

Anderson returns to the diamond on Thursday, when the Trojans open a four-game road swing at Southern Wesleyan. First-pitch versus the Warriors is set for 2 p.m.