SOPHOMORE (2025): Closed out the season by playing in eight games in the field, making four starts along the way … tallied three hits, three RBI and a run scored … had double on the slate in the second game against Johnson & Wales (March 22) … made her debut against St. Andrews (Feb. 27) … earned a nod in the starting lineup against Carolina University (March 18) … collected her first hit of the season in a 12-0 win over Johnson & Wales (March 22) … followed that with a 1-for-2 outing, which resulted in a double, two RBI and a run scored in game two of the series with the Wildcats … came through with her third hit of the season at Mary Baldwin (April 22), finishing 1-for-2 at the plate … logged 11.1 innings in the circle, allowing 12 earned runs and two walks, while notching one strikeout on the season … made her first of eight relief appearances versus St. Andrews (Feb. 27), tossing a hitless one inning … recorded one K in game two of the series with Covenant (March 18) … held Southern Virginia (April 1) to one hit in one-third of an inning … limited the William Peace (April 19) offense to one hit in one inning … had her longest stint of the season versus Greensboro (April 19), going 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and two walks … worked 2.2 innings of relief at Mary Baldwin (April 22), allowing two runs (one earned) off three hits.
FIRST YEAR (2024): A major contributor for the Spirits both as a slugger and a pitcher, appearing in 14 games over the course of the season … tallied six hits in 22 at bats, posting a .273 batting average … scored one run and accounted for one RBI … came through with a .304 on-base percentage and a .273 slugging percentage … entered the pitching circle on 11 occasions, making two starts along the way … worked 33 innings, second-most on the team, where she allowed 37 runs (25 earned runs) and struck out 10 opposing hitters … became the second reliever in Salem history to have two saves in a single season, equaling the mark set by Sydney Vaughn (2017) … debuted at Livingstone (Feb. 19-Game 1), where she was 2-for-4 at the plate … had a pair of hits at Covenant (March 12-Game 2) … had one hit in games against both Southern Virginia (April 10-Game 1) and Mary Baldwin (April 24-Game 2) … made her collegiate debut in the circle against Wesleyan (Ga.) (Feb. 25-Game 2), where she tossed 3.2 innings, allowed four earned runs and fanned one hitter … tossed five innings, converting two strikeouts, in the opening game of the series with Averett (March 3) … made her first collegiate start in the circle at Covenant (March 12), where she tossed 2.2 innings … had a relief appearance versus Southern Virginia (April 10-Game 1) where she tallied one strikeout over 3.1 innings … earned a save in Salem’s 7-6 win over Brevard (April 16-Game 1) as she held the Tornados’ lineup to one hit over 2.1 innings … followed that with a win against Brevard in the second game of the series, tossing 2.1 innings along the way … earned her second save of the series at Methodist (April 27-Game 2) as she limited the Monarchs to one hit in 1.2 innings.
PREP: Graduated from Eugene Ashley High School in 2023 … a two-sport athlete who competed in both swimming (2019-20) and softball (2019-21 / 2022-23) … played softball under the direction of coaches John Hamilton (2019-21) and Caroline Barnette (2022-23) … swam for one season under head coach John Pellezari (2019-20) … competed on the Softball Club circuit for 12 years … played from 2013-19 for the Port City Thunder under head coach Jeff Pearce … joined Pearce’s Firecrackers NC Pearce team on the Softball Club unit from 2019 through 2023.
PERSONAL: Griffin Nicole Pearce … daughter of Brooke and Jeff Pearce … born on June 8, 2005 … has one sibling, Jack … graduated Cum Laude from Eugene Ashley High School … member of National Honor Society … active in Tri-M Music Honors Society … served as Senior President of United Sound.
