VIRGINIA BEACH -- Mary Shipp started it and Kasey Newcomb and Ilesh Burney finished it.

"It" was a no-hit pitching performance on Tuesday as the Virginia Wesleyan College trio shut down the Vixens of Sweet Briar College for a 9-0 victory in five innings in the second game of an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader at Marlins Field.

Their combined no-hitter followed a 16-0, five-inning win by the No. 11 Marlins in the first game, pitched by Kristina Karagiorgis and Alana Peters. The sweep improved Virginia Wesleyan's overall record to 22-4 and its league record to 12-2.  VWC has now won 10 consecutive games and has recorded 13 shutouts in its 22 overall victories.

Shipp (Virginia Beach/First Colonial) struck out six batters in three innings in the pitching circle, before Newcomb (Henderson, N.C./Creedmor South Granville) and Burney (Bristol, Conn./Central) followed for an inning each.  Shipp picked up the win and improved her record to 10-2, after Karagiorgis (Ashburn/Briarwoods) won her 11th straight game.  She struck out eight batters and allowed a hit in four innings, before Peters (Oakton/Oakton) entered for the final inning.  She struck out one and allowed one hit.

While VWC's pitching and defense held Sweet Briar (4-20, 0-16) in check, the Marlins hit consistently, knocking out 26 hits. Thirteen Marlins connected for at least one hit in the first game, led by rookie Cassety Howerin (Dover, Del./Caesar Rodney) with a pair of doubles, driving in four runs. Courtney Bogan (Round Hill/Woodgrove) and Kayla Dost (Bristow/Nokesville Brentsville) belted a double and single each in the contest, Liz Bailey (Chesapeake/Greenbrier Christian) ripped a triple,Taylor Galvin (Virginia Beach/Kempsville) and Sami Pearce (Powhatan/Powhatan)added a two singles each , and Karagiorgis smacked a double.

Bogan led the Marlins' hitting in the second contest with a pair of singles.  Bailey and Galvin added a double each.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Saturday, April 11, in an ODAC doubleheader at Emory & Henry College beginning at 1 p.m.

--AMDG--