A two strike bunt single was the difference as Salem defeated Cave Spring in softball Tuesday. Haellie Gordon shut out the Knights, 1-0, for a big River Ridge District win at the Moyer Complex.

Salem’s only run came in the bottom of the third. Taylor McCaleb reached base on an error and moved to third on a hit by Reagan Owens. With one out Liz Warren came to the plate, and her two strike bunt caught the Knights by surprise as McCaleb came in with what turned out to be the only run of the game.

“Liz was struggling against their pitcher and I could see she was getting frustrated,” said Salem coach Sarah Beth Walton. “I thought she would have a better chance bunting, as she’s probably our most dependable bunter. I knew she had two strikes, and it maybe wasn’t the smartest decision, but I had confidence she could get it down.”

Gordon and the Salem defense took care of the rest. Haellie allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out six. The Spartans played sound defense behind her as they picked up their third win in their past four games after starting out with four losses.

“We’re starting to relax and just play softball,” said Walton.

Salem was frozen out of a game with Blacksburg last Friday, and that will be made up on May 4. The Spartans will host Hidden Valley at Moyer today, then take off for spring break.