BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Birmingham-Southern softball team started their conference season off hot with two-rule games against Sewanee on Saturday, taking both games in five innings with 9-0 scores.

Game one
Hailee Bryan threw a no-hitter in the first shutout of the night for the Panthers. A mix of hits and errors put BSC up one run in the first inning, with Alyssa Fowler scoring on an RBI single from Jordyn Green. The bottom of the second saw a two-out RBI double from Izzy Berkopec and another error from the Tigers allowed Berkopec to score, putting the Panthers up 3-0. The momentum kept moving for Birmingham-Southern as they added four runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. Olivia Trout brought in the first run of the inning with an RBI single to right center. Berkopec brought in big numbers with a double that scores Olivia Trout, Katie Hart and Emma Jolley, making their lead 7-0. Bryan faced three batters in the top of the fourth to strike out two swinging. Birmingham-Southern added two more runs on two hits in the bottom of the fourth. Margaret Axelson hit an RBI double and an error from the Tigers allowed her to score to cap off the 9-0 run-rule win. Bryan ultimately finished it out for the Panthers with two strikeouts in the top of the fifth, recording her first no-hitter of the season and eight strikeouts to end the night. 

Pitching decisions
WIN:  Hailee Bryan (2-1)
LOSS: Michaela Walker (1-8)

Records
#19 Birmingham-Southern 7-2 Overall (1-0 SAA), Sewanee 3-9 Overall (0-1 SAA)

Game two
Margaret Axelson started off strong for the Panthers in the circle, facing four batters in the first inning and striking out three of them. Birmingham-Southern was the first on the board, putting up five runs on four hits in the bottom of the first. Jordyn Green brought in Izzy Berkopec and Emma Jolley with a single through the left side. Another 2 RBI single, this time from Katie Hart, made it 4-0 for the Panthers. Margaret Axelson scored on a single from Cassidy Dickson that put Birmingham-Southern up by five in the bottom of the first. Axelson saw three-up-three-down in the top of the second, striking out all of them and adding two more strikeouts in the top of the third. Cassidy Dickson drove in Katie Hart on an RBI single through the right side. The seventh run for the Panthers came when Izzy Berkopec got hit by a pitch with bases loaded, bringing in a run. Morgan McGuire scored on a fielders choice for Alyssa Fowler that made it 8-0 in favor of Birmingham-Southern. The bottom of the fourth saw the final run for the Panthers when Emma Jolley drew a bases loaded walk to score Cassidy Dickson. Axelson finished off the night with 10 strikeouts, no walks and one hit. 

Pitching decisions
WIN:  Margaret Axelson (5-0)
LOSS: Hanna Hollis (2-2)

Records
#19 Birmingham-Southern 8-2 Overall (2-0 SAA), Sewanee 3-10 Overall (0-2 SAA)

Up next
Birmingham-Southern will finish the series against Sewanne on Sunday, February 26th at 12 p.m. at BSC Softball Park.