HICKORY, NC — After not playing on Saturday, Patrick & Henry Community College softball returned to the field Sunday for Day Three of the JUCO Jamboree and came away with two impressive victories — a dramatic 1-0 walk-off win over Delta College followed by a 7-4 victory over the Catawba Valley Community College Red Hawks at Stanford Park.

With the two wins, the Patriots move to 5-11 overall and have now won four straight games.

Walk-Off Thriller vs. Delta College

The opener was a classic pitcher's duel that came down to the final at-bat. Locked in a scoreless tie through six innings, the Patriots secured the 1-0 victory in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh when a Delta College error allowed the game-winning run to score.

Sophomore Lily Carola (Union, W.Va.) was dominant in the circle, striking out 12 over six shutout innings while allowing just three hits. Sophomore Aris Smith (King George, Va.) closed the door in the seventh, striking out three to earn the win as the Patriots' pitching staff combined for 15 strikeouts.

Offensively, sophomore Morgan McCrary (Bassett, Va.) led the way with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Defensively, P&HCC was flawless once again, committing no errors, with sophomore Haley Goode (Moneta, Va.) handling 15 chances behind the plate and in the field.

Patriots Rally Past CVCC

In the second game of the day, Catawba Valley jumped out early with two first-inning home runs. However, the Patriots responded in a big way in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Trailing 2-1, P&HCC erupted for six runs on five hits to seize control of the game. Freshman Allison Brooks (Stuarts Draft, Va.) delivered the biggest swing of the inning — a three-run home run to left field that ignited the rally. Sophomore Kylie Cooper (Wirtz, Va.) and Brooks each finished with three RBI, while sophomore Hannah Frink (Vinton, Va.) went 2-for-3 to pace the offense.

CVCC added two more runs in the sixth on another home run, but the Patriots held firm. Smith earned her second win of the day, allowing four runs over six innings with eight strikeouts and no walks. Carola recorded the save to secure the 7-4 victory.

Head Coach Robbi Campbell praised his team's resilience throughout the day.

"Today was a great example of our toughness and growth," Campbell said. "We had to grind through a pitcher's duel in the first game and stay patient, then respond after giving up early home runs in the second. I'm proud of how our players competed, trusted each other, and continued to fight every inning. That's the identity we're building."

With the two wins, the Patriots closed out their JUCO Jamboree slate with momentum heading into next week.

Up Next

P&HCC now prepares to travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic, where they will face College of DuPage on Monday, March 9 at 9:00 a.m., followed by a matchup against Joliet Junior College at 1:00 p.m.

For the full schedule and complete statistics, visit phccsports.com.