BARBOURVILLE, Ky. - March 20 - It took just a month to do what no other Lady Bulldog had ever done in a career.

Freshman Sarah Driver (Hopkinsville, Ky.) became the career strikeout leader Union College softball history when she fanned nine in the opener of an Appalachian Athletic Conference sweep over visiting Montreat (N.C.) College on Tuesday.

The Lady Bulldogs won 8-3 and 3-2 to improve to 14-12 overall and 2-0 in league play, while Montreat fell to 6-15 overall and 0-2 in the AAC.

On Feb. 20, Driver made her collegiate debut and promptly set the school record for strikeouts with 13. Since then, she had four double-digit strikeout games as she has eclipsed the season and now the career strikeouts records. The previous marks were 77 and 130, respectively, and with the nine she fired Tuesday, Driver has amassed 132 in 16 appearances.

In the first game, Lyla Blauser (Hopkinsville, Ky.) crossed the plate three times, while Ashleigh Mensch (Elizabethtown, Ky.) and Driver each scored twice. Samantha Bridges (Jackson, Tenn.) and Lee Davis (Lexington, Ky.) also contributed a run.

In the second game Driver scored two runs, while Kaila McSpedon (West Palm Beach, Fla.) contributed a run. Jenna Gray (Lakeland, Fla.) picked up the win and had four strikeouts.

The Lady Bulldogs return to action on Wednesday when they play host to Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College at 3 p.m.