BUENA VISTA, Va. – After back-to-back fourth inning frenzies, the Southern Virginia University Softball team (17-11, 5-5) defeated league foe Salem College (3-19, 1-11) in the first of three doubleheaders this week.
In her third start of the year,
Malia Davis opened the contest with two consecutive strikeouts. The freshman wouldn't stop there, finishing the game with a season-high six K's. The St. George, Utah, native recorded just the second-ever perfect game in Southern Virginia history, with the last occurring in 2010 by Kyla Christmas.
When asked how she felt after the perfect game, Davis said, "I'm feeling amazing! I couldn't have done it without the support of my teammates! They were there to back me up and perform at the plate. It's so nice to know that all the time and dedication I've put in over the years has paid off and helped me perform well in college. I'm just so grateful for my coaches and teammates! It's good to know that people love and support me daily."
On the offensive side of the ball, a slew of Knights got hot with the bat, led by
Arianna Prymak and
Chloe Nelson, who both tallied three hits, with Nelson going a perfect three-for-three.
Katie Claytor led all players with four RBIs, with three coming off a fourth-inning home run—her second of the contest. The runs were three of 13 registered in the inning that pushed the lead to 18—the most runs scored and the largest margin of victory by Southern Virginia since 2018.
The Knights stayed hot with the bat in game two, scoring eight runs in the first two innings. After giving up three tallies in the top of the third, Southern Virginia battled back in their portion of the inning, recording two more runs. Salem would add two more points in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to five, but an explosion in the bottom of the inning stretched the advantage to ten. With runners on first and second with just one out in the top of the fifth,
Chloe Persinger forced a ground out and struck out the final batter of the afternoon to secure the sweep.
In the second game,
Dykell Jones and
Adisen Webster went a perfect three-for-three with two RBIs. The Knights added two homers in the contest, with Claytor tallying her third of the afternoon.
Southern Virginia continues its busy week on Thursday, April 13, when they visit NC Wesleyan on the road. "I'm hoping my team and I can keep the energy up and transfer it into our upcoming games," Davis continued.
To follow along with the action and for the most up-to-date information regarding Southern Virginia University softball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_softball on Instagram.
