Mickels' No-Hitter Highlights Softball Sweep Over Carolina U

Misenheimer, N.C. (March 31, 2022) – Pfeiffer University senior pitcher Caiti Mickles hurled her second career no-hitter in game two of a softball sweep over visiting Carolina University on Wednesday afternoon at Jack Ingram Field in Misenheimer.

The Basics
Game 1 – Pfeiffer def. Carolina U, 8-5
Game 2 – Pfeiffer def. Carolina U, 8-0 (5 innings)

Records
Carolina U – 12-15
Pfeiffer – 17-6

Location – Misenheimer, N.C. – Jack Ingram Field

How it Happened – Game 1
After giving up a run in the top of the first, Pfeiffer lit up the scoreboard by scoring seven runs in the first inning and hung on to take the 8-5 win.

Freshman Gracie Griffin (Calabash, N.C.) continued her hot play with an two RBI triple, the first of her career to stake the Falcons to the 2-1 lead.  Mattie Hinson (Norwood, N.C.) the delivered an RBI single to left center to score Griffin to push the lead to 3-1.

A bases loaded walk drawn by Hannah Tyner (Carthage, N.C.) made it 4-1 followed by a two-RBI single from Adison Campbell (Norwood, N.C.) to extend the lead to 6-1.  Kyndell Warren (Lenoir, N.C.) delivered an RBI single to end the first inning scoring to provide the 7-1 lead.  Warren also hit an RBI double in the third inning to put Pfeiffer on top 8-1.

The Bruins attempted a comeback with a two-run homer by Kourtney Cox in the fourth to trim the lead to 8-3 and in the sixth got a Maggie Brown double that brought the score to 8-5, the eventual final.

Freshman pitcher Emma Bullin (Ararat, N.C.) got the win to improve to 4-0 on the season, pitching 2.2 innings allowing just one hit while striking out one Bruin batter.

Ashlyn Kennedy (New London, N.C.) got her second save of the season by closing out the game, pitching 2.2 innings allowing just one hit and also striking out one batter.

Game 2
Falcon senior Caiti Mickles (Boonville, N.C.) was dominant in the circle, throwing a complete game while striking out five Bruin batters in her second career no-hitter.

Mickles was aided by a Falcon offense that jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning with a two-RBI triple from Alexis Walter (Taylorsville, N.C.).  Alyssa Broaddus (Mechanicsville, Va.) also got into the action with an RBI double that allowed Walter to score to make it 3-0.  Campbell then singled to score Broaddus making it 4-0. Campbell would collect another RBI in the third inning when she reached by fielder's choice, allowing Mickles to score from third, boosting the lead to 5-0.

Griffin's single allowed Warren to scamper home in the fourth inning to push the Falcon lead to 6-0 followed by an RBI from Mickles on a fielder's choice to go ahead 7-0
The final Falcon run came in the fifth.  With runners on second and third, Peyton Farley hit a grounder to third base which was mishandled by the Bruin third baseman, allowing Farley to reach first and Broaddus to scamper home to provide the 8-0 walk-off win.

Mickles was dominant in the circle in pitching the complete game while striking out five batters and issuing no walks, improving her season record to 3-4.

The no-hitter was the second of her career, with the first coming on April 11, 2021 in an 8-0 win over Meredith.

Up Next
The Falcons will travel to Rocky Mount, N.C. for a key USA South series against North Carolina Wesleyan.  First pitch from Edge Field is scheduled for Noon on Saturday, April 2.