By Nick Porter

COVINGTON, Va.—The Southern Virginia softball team won their season opening series against Franciscan University on Saturday afternoon at the James River Sports Complex in Covington, Virginia, sweeping the Barons 9-0 and 6-5.

Game One
The Knights (2-2) scored three runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to secure a 9-0 victory in five innings. Rachael Moore earned her first career win in a one-hit shutout performance from the circle. Offensively she had an RBI double in the bottom of the second. 

Annie Clark scored two runs and recorded two hits and two RBIs in the win. Madison Muse and Katierose Helems also batted in runs for the Knights. An errorless defensive effort aided the shutout and secured the win.

Game Two
The Barons (0-2) struck first in the opening half inning of game two, scoring on a single through the left side. They would score again in the third before the Knights would answer with three runs of their own. 

Three consecutive hits by Moore, Tara Hilton, and Mollie Gabbert brought runs accross for the Knights to take a 3-2 lead. The Barons scored two more in the top of the sixth.

In the bottom of the seventh Jordan Stites opened the inning with a single. Two outs later Moore came to bat with Stites on third. An RBI single to lefit field brought in the tying run forcing extra innings. 

Each team scored a run in the eighth before the Knights scored the game-winning run from second (placed there due to international tie-breaking rules) on a fielding error from Ofa Moa-Sam Fong's batted ball.

The Knights look to continue this momentum, and the first wins under second-year head coach Kortny Hall, at Randolph on Tuesday, March 1.