MISENHEIMER — With a program-best 20 consecutive wins already in the bag, the Pfeiffer University softball team is off to its best start in school history with USA South Conference play is set to begin soon.
Under the leadership of ninth-year coach Monte Sherrill, the Falcons (20-0) picked up their latest two victories in a doubleheader with Ferrum College (2-10) this past Saturday, defeating the Panthers 9-1 in Game 1 and 8-0 in Game 2.
Senior pitcher Kali Morton recorded 10 strikeouts in the first game as junior outfielder Alyssa Broaddus quickly boosted the team’s offense with an inside-the-park grand slam in the first inning.
Junior pitchers Kenzi Lyall and Emma Bullin shined in Game 2 with a combined shutout effort, leaving Broaddus room to go 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. Sophomore utility player Charly Cooper had two RBIs while junior outfielder Gracie Griffin added three more for the Falcons.
Broaddus leads the team with a .529 batting average as Lyall (31) and Griffin (30) lead the Falcons in total hits.
With pitching duties split between Lyall, Morton and Bullin, the three pitchers have combined for an ERA of 1.02, opponent batting average of .181, and a strikeout-hit ratio of 141-80.
Ranked as high as No. 12 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Coaches Poll in 2023, Pfeiffer currently sits at No. 18 in the NFCA rankings and is looking to move up even higher when the latest poll is revealed.
Last year’s team cruised to a conference-best 35-13 (15-3 USA South) record and won the USA South Tournament championship, eventually earning the program’s first wins in the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament as they played in Marietta, OH. The Falcons later forced a winner-take-all championship game where they fell to fifth-ranked Rowan University.
Marking the beginning of conference play, Pfeiffer will now challenge the N.C. Wesleyan Bishops (7-7) in a road doubleheader on Saturday; the Falcons have won nine of the 12 matchups between the two teams.
After that, the team will have favorable matchups with Southern Virginia (2-8), Mary Baldwin (4-8) and Salem (3-15) before rounding out the season with William Peace (8-10), Methodist (10-8), Guilford (8-6), Greensboro (9-7), Meredith (9-7) and Brevard (6-11).
The Falcons have 20 conference games leading up to the 2024 USA South Tournament, which is set to begin on May 2 and run until the championship game on May 11.