ANDERSON, S.C. - Using a grand slam in each game, the Anderson University softball team notched its sixth straight win by sweeping Mars Hill, 9-5 and 7-2, in South Atlantic Conference action Tuesday afternoon at Smethers Field.

With the win, Anderson improved to 21-5 overall and 4-0 in the conference with its 17th win in 20 outings. The Trojans also stayed perfect at home with their 14th consecutive win at Smethers Field, while Mars Hill fell to 2-11 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Game #1
Anderson 9, Mars Hill 5
Sophomore Courtney Czentnar clubbed a two-out grand slam in the decisive fourth inning, while also notching a single in three trips to the plate. Senior Jessica Neidigh posted a single and a run-scoring triple, while driving in two runs and scoring twice. Freshman Chelsea Jones was 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and drove in a run.

Jones (6-1) earned the win with four innings of relief in the opener. The right-hander struck out three, while allowing two runs off four hits.

The Lions jumped on top early on senior left fielder Aleshia Peek's two-out, two-run single in the top of the first, while the Trojans countered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Neidigh led off the frame by pulling a seeing-eye single through the right side and promptly swiped her 11th stolen base of the season. Junior Molly Child and freshman Cailah Niles followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases and Jones ripped a single to center to plate AU's first run.

The Trojans evened the score at 2-2 with another run in the second inning, with Czentnar leading off with a single to left and moving into scoring position with her fifth stolen base of the year. She moved to third when freshman Carli Hurtado bounced out to second base and crossed the plate when Neidigh hit a grounder to the right side and the Mars Hill infield threw the ball away trying to nab Czentnar at third.

The Lions capitalized on an error and three consecutive singles to regain a 3-2 advantage in the top of third inning, but the Trojans sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, while erupting for seven runs to take a 9-3 edge. AU took advantage of three walks and three extra-base hits, including Czentnar's second home run in three games with the bases loaded, to take the lead.

Mars Hill senior Robyn Stanek drilled a home run with one out in the fifth inning and junior Ellen Tillman hit a solo homer to lead off the top of the seventh inning for the Lions to set the final score.

Game #2
Anderson 7, Mars Hill 2
Niles, who entered the game tied for first in the nation in home runs and leading the country in RBI, slammed her league-leading 13th homer of the season - a one-out grand slam - in the fourth inning. Jones was 2-for-3 in the second game, with a single, a double and also reached after being hit by a pitch. Hurtado added a pair of singles and crossed the plate once, with Neidigh extended her hitting streak to six games with a two-run single and also reached base after getting hit by a pitch. Czentnar reached base twice in the nightcap with a run-scoring single and a fourth-inning walk.

Jones earned her second victory of the afternoon, and seventh of the season, with a complete-game effort, as she struck out seven batters and walked just one. The reigning conference pitcher of the week limited Mars Hill to two runs on seven hits.

The Trojans batted around in the bottom of the second inning, with Neidigh's two-out, two-run single highlighting AU's three-run inning.

Mars Hill answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning on freshman Taylor Lail's homer over the fence in right to pull the Lions within one, but Jones limited MHU to a pair of singles and a double over the final four innings.

Czentnar and Child began the home fourth inning by sandwiching walks around a single by Hurtado to load the bases with one out, which brought Niles to the plate. She lined a shot over the fence in center field for the grand slam, giving the Trojans a 7-2 cushion.

Anderson opens a four-game South Atlantic Conference road swing at Newberry on Saturday. First-pitch versus the Wolves is set for 1 p.m.