N. MYRTLE BEACH, SC – Senior Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) help lead the Wilkes University softball team to an 8-0 shutout victory against Rivier University in six innings as she produced both at the plate and in the circle as the Colonels continued their Spring Break play at the Snowbird Tournament.

Wilkes stayed unbeaten at the tournament running its win streak to five games. The Colonels are 5-2 overall. Rivier dropped to 1-4 overall.

Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) led off the bottom of the second with a single to centerfield for her 100th career hit. Rhia Aurand (Avondale, PA/Avon Grove) then tripled to right to bring in Gibson and give the Colonels a 1-0 lead.

Wilkes broke the game open for good in the bottom of the fifth with three runs on three hits. Jordyn Kondras (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) started the inning with a single and then with one out Erin Cabry (York, PA/Central York) walked. Staunton then knocked a run-scoring single to score Kondras. Gibson then walked to load the bases. Cabry would proceed to score on a wild pitch during the next at-bat which ended with an Aurand walk. Caylee-Mae Williams (Yuba City, CA/River Valley) then capped the scoring with a RBI single to center that scored Gibson to make the score 4-0.

Kondras again started a Wilkes rally in the sixth inning with a leadoff hit. Cabry then moved Kondras up with a hit of her own. Staunton then ripped an RBI double to bring in Kondras and moved Cabry to third. After a Gibson walk, Aurand hit a sacrifice fly that scored Cabry and Staunton also scored during the play on an error by the Raiders shortstop. Ar'riyauna Fleming (Lorton, VA/Flint Hill School) then ended the game with a pinch-hit RBI single that scored Gibson as the Colonels took their second straight game by the eight-run rule.

Staunton moved to 2-0 on the season with six strong innings in the circle. She allowed just two hits and struck out four during the shutout effort. Staunton also went 3-for-4 in the batter's box with two RBI's and one run.

Kondras finished 2-for-4 with two runs, Cabry was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs, and Aurand was 1-for-2 with one walk and two RBI's. Gibson had a productive day going 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs.

The Colonels have an off day tomorrow before they finish action at the Snowbird Tournament on Friday with two games. Wilkes will face Wesley College at 9:30 a.m. before switching fields to play Waynesburg University at 11:30 a.m.