Winchester, Va. -- The sixth-ranked University of Lynchburg softball team kept its momentum Saturday with a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference road victories at Shenandoah.

The Hornets won 8-0 and 6-3 in the doubleheader.

Senior first baseman Mackenzie Chitwood (Ferrum, Va.) continued her storybook season with her league-leading ninth home run of the year. The slugger went 4-for-7 on the day and drove in six runs.

Senior third baseman Taylor Mabry (Bassett, Va.) also homered and scored four runs for Lynchburg.

Senior right-hander Taylor Belknap (Arden, N.C.) twirled a two-hit shutout over six innings, striking out three, in the opener.

THE RUNDOWN

Game 1 Final: No. 6 Lynchburg 8, Shenandoah 0 (6 inn.)

Game 2 Final: No. 6 Lynchburg 6, Shenandoah 3

Records: No. 6 Lynchburg (24-4, 7-1 ODAC), Shenandoah (12-13, 3-5 ODAC)

Venue: Henkel-Harris Field, Shenandoah University, Winchester, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1

• After a scoreless first two innings, Lynchburg broke through in the third. Junior shortstop Kayla Hugate (Chesterfield, Va.) put the visitors ahead with a sacrifice fly, and Chitwood tripled home Mabry shortly after. Senior catcher Brittany Coffey (Manassas, Va.) brought Chitwood in with an RBI groundout.

• Chitwood doubled the Lynchburg lead to 6-0 with her three-run homer in the fifth and ended the game early with a two-run double in the sixth.

Game 2

• SU took a second-inning lead on Meghan Stout's RBI double, but Lynchburg made it disappear. Hugate's bunt single brought the tying run in, and the next batter, Mabry, homered to put Lynchburg up, 3-1.

• Coffey gave the visitors insurance in the fifth with a two-run single, and sophomore designated player Morgan Mitchell (Mineral, Va.) made it 6-1 Lynchburg with an RBI single of her own.

• Junior right-hander Alex Cisar (Sykesville, Md.) improved to 11-2 on the season with six solid innings. Cisar allowed just one earned run. Sophomore right-hander Kayley Cox (Yorktown, Va.) locked down her fourth save of the year with a scoreless seventh.

LOOKING AHEAD

Lynchburg will stay in the Shenandoah Valley for a Sunday, March 31 ODAC doubleheader at Bridgewater. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

--LYN--