>Opponents: 
Salem at Carolina U. | March 18 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 1 / 3 p.m.
Johnson & Wales vs. Salem | March 22 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Blixt Field | 1 / 3 p.m.

>SPIRITS FACING FINAL NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
The Salem softball team will put the finishing touches on the non-conference portion of the 2025 campaign this week with a pair of contests against Carolina University (March 18) and Johnson & Wales (March 22). 

The Bruins and Salem battle on Tuesday afternoon at Wilson Park in Clemmons, N.C. Four days later, on Saturday afternoon, Johnson & Wales will make the trek to Winston-Salem for a 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. doubleheader with the Spirits at Blixt Field. 

>SALEM CONDUCTS DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP OF OBERLIN
The Salem softball team wrapped up a brief two-day, four-game homestand by conducting a sweep of Oberlin at Blixt Field by scores of 6-1 (Game 1) and 2-1 (Game 2) on Sunday afternoon. 

The series sweep marked the first for Salem since downing Brevard on April 16, 2024. It is the first non-conference series sweep since defeating Livingstone on March 20, 2023, which coincidentally marked the last home series sweep. 

The Spirits moved to 5-11 on the season behind a series of performances from Riley Dennis, Kayla Dick and Reese Upton. With Dennis in the circle in the first game of the series, the Salem first year tossed a complete game two hitter, striking out seven batters along the way. At the plate, Dick combined for four hits, two RBI, a run scored and a triple. Upton notched two hits, three RBI and a double in a pair of contests. 

Another key performer for the Spirits was Isabella Morales. Morales, like Dennis, hurled a complete game for Salem in the circle, allowing one run on four hits to go along with three strikeouts. 

GAME 1 | Salem 6, Oberlin 1

W: Riley Dennis (3-5) / L: Hailey Alspach (1-2) 
Salem Leaders: Kayla Dick (2-4, 2 RBI, run, triple, SB), Carmen Duffey (2-3), Maleah Tate (2-3, run), Reese Upton (1-4, RBI), Olivia Porter (1-3, RBI), Riley Dennis (CG, 2 hits allowed, 1 run, 8 K's)

SALEM HIGHLIGHTS
-Carmen Duffey had the first hit of the game for the Spirits, a single up the middle in the third inning. 
-Maleah Tate led off the sixth inning with a single to third and motored home on a triple down the left field line by Kayla Dick to even the score at 1-1. 
-Dick came home for the go-ahead run on a bunt single from Reese Upton. With Upton at second, following a steal, Olivia Porter scored her teammate for the 3-1 Salem lead with a single past second. 
-The Spirts capitalized on a bunt single by NeVaeha George, putting Porter in scoring position. Madison Long reached on a fielder's choice, which came as a result of a throwing error, allowing George and Porter to score for the 5-1 advantage. 
-Dick brought in the final run of the inning, in the form of Jelene Avila, with a single through the left side of the infield. 
-The Spirits put six runs across the plate in the home half of the sixth, finishing with eight runs as they sent 12 runners to the plate. 
-Riley Dennis fanned eight Yeomen batters over the course of the complete game two-hitter. 
-The top four sluggers in the Salem lineup accounted for five hits, four RBI and four runs scored. Meanwhile, the bottom two sluggers for the Spirits combined for four hits and a run scored. 

GAME 2 | Salem 2, Oberlin 1

W: Isabella Morales (2-5) / L: Sophie Stone (0-2)
Salem Leaders: Reese Upton (1-3, 2 RBI, double), Maleah Tate (2-3, run), Kayla Dick (2-4), Isabella Morales (CG, 4 H, 1 R, 3 K's)

SALEM HIGHLIGHTS
-The Spirits evened the game at one in the bottom of the third as Cree Bass reached base on a one-out walk. Maleah Tate and Kayla Dick both followed with singles. 
-With the bases loaded, Reese Upton sent a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Bass for the run, evening the game at 1-1. 
-Salem put two on with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. The first of those hits came from Dick, who moved to third on a double to centerfield by Reese Upton. 
-The Spirits had an opportunity to move in front in the sixth, as NeVaeha George reached on a walk. After moving to second on a Kiersten Nelson bunt, George was stranded for the go-ahead run.
-The Spirits scored their game-winning run in the seventh after Tate reached on a single to third base. After stealing second and advancing to third on a passed ball, Upton scored Tate from third on a sacrifice fly. 

>TATE SETS SIGHTS ON USA SOUTH ALL-TIME STOLEN BASE RECORD
With the Salem program record in steals in her back pocket, a mark she established last season, junior speedster Maleah Tate has her sights set on the USA South's all-time record stolen base mark. 

Tate swiped a program single-season record 28 bases in 2024, topping the previous mark of 22 that was established by Karson Chapman in 2013. Along the way, she became the Spirits' all-time steals leader, ending the season with 40. 

Through the first 16 games of the season, Tate has swiped a team-high 19 bases, getting caught in the act on just one occasion. That is one more than Greensboro's Ivy Ray, who has the second-most in the USA South Conference. 

Tate would need five steals in a game to tie both TK Sauls (Piedmont) and Sandy Miller (Christopher Newport) for the league mark. The top stolen base artist in the league in a season belongs to Vada Blue Sherrill, who swiped 52 in 2019 for Pfeiffer. Samantha Hall (Averett) owns the career record in steals for the USA South, swiping 131 in her career for the Cougars between 2014 and 2017. 

>INSIDE THE SALEM NUMBERS
-Entering this week, Salem has 20 doubles on the season, highlighted by Reese Upton's five. Upton is one of four Spirits with at least three doubles on the season, including Olivia Porter, Carmen Duffey and Mackenzie Kramer, who have three each. The trio of NeVaeha George, Kayla Dick and Madison Long have two each. 
-The Spirits have already equaled the number of triples as a team (six) than they had combined in the last two seasons, which included five in 2024. The last time that Salem had at least six triples in a season was 2016.
-Salem has managed double-digit triples on only two occasions. The most was by the 2014 unit, which tallied 21. One year earlier, in 2013, Salem tallied 11 triples. 
-Kayla Dick leads the way with a team-best three triples. 
-Midway through March, the Spirits have five players hitting at least .300 from the plate, including NeVaeha George. George is boasting a .389 batting average after connecting on 14-of-36 from the plate. Maleah Tate, last season's batting average leader at Salem, is second with a .346 average. Tate has the most hits (18) and runs (13) of any Salem slugger. 
-Madison Long is currently third in batting average with a .333 average, which includes a pair of doubles, while Reese Upton (.318) and Kayla Dick (.317) round out the top five. 
 -Sophomore hurler Isabella Morales has already tossed five complete games in 2025, leading the way in the circle for the Spirits. In her seven appearances, all starts, Morales has logged 39 innings, allowed 25 earned runs, 10 walks and fanned 10 opposing hitters. 
-First year Riley Dennis, who leads the team in wins (three), has faced 199 opposing hitters during the course of the season. She has issued just nine walks and allowed 69 hits, while striking out 36 batters. 

>SCOUTING REPORT: CAROLINA U. 
All-Time Series Record vs. Carolina: Carolina leads the all-time series 6-2

The Spirits and Carolina will clash for the third time in the last two seasons when they meet on Tuesday afternoon. 

Carolina has won four of the last five meetings with the one win by the Spirits (9-8) coming in game two of the doubleheader on February 17th. 

The Bruins are 12-8 on the season and recently swept Johnson C. Smith in their last outing on Saturday afternoon by scores of 20-0 and 7-0 (forfeit). Earlier this month, at a tournament hosted by Paine College, Carolina University put together a four-game winning streak against Trinity Baptist (11-2), Paine College (5-0), Trinity Baptist (4-2) and Paine (9-5) in succession. 

Carolina is led offensively by the duo of ZyMaijah Thomas (.491 batting average) and Kalea Bolch (471). Thomas has connected on a team-best 27 hits, scoring 26 runs along the way, also a team-high. Meanwhile, Bolch has 24 hits on the campaign, crossing the plate for 17 runs. 

Danielle Brooks (7-3) and Madison Hamilton (4-2) lead the team in the circle. Brooks has appeared in 11 games, making eight starts, which has resulted in 60.2 innings pitched and a team-best 37 K's. Hamilton has seen 42.1 innings in the circle, fanning 17 opposing hitters. 

>SCOUTING REPORT: JOHNSON & WALES
All-Time Series Record vs. Johnson & Wales: First meeting
Johnson and Wales opens its 2025 season with a pair of games at Salem. The Wildcats are in the first year of their softball program.