EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (4-8) split a pair of non-conference games with Averett University (6-8) Saturday afternoon at Wasps Field in the 2012 home opener for E&H. Emory & Henry took the first game, 4-2, while Averett came away with a 7-0 victory in the nightcap.
Game One – Emory & Henry 4, Averett 2
E&H got out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. With two runners on and two outs, freshman right fielder Bethany Anderson (Dublin, Va.) hit a single to left centerfield, scoring senior shortstop Jenae Morrissey (Utica, N.Y.).
Averett equalized the contest at one in the top of the second. After a leadoff single by Brooke Hensley, a sacrifice bunt and hit batsman put pinch runner Kayla Renn on third base. A single up the middle by Heather Carnes drove in Renn to tie the contest.
The Cougars added a run in the fifth to take the lead. After a sacrifice bunt that put Joanna Diaz on second base, a throwing error by the second baseman allowed her to complete her trip around the bases, giving Averett a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom half of the fifth Emory & Henry got two runs to regain the advantage. With two runners on and one out, back-to-back singles by junior catcher Ashley Ebersole (Maurertown, Va.) and sophomore pitcher Jennifer True (Utica, N.Y.) drove in runs as the Wasps went up 3-2.
E&H added another run in the sixth. Freshman second baseman Jelisa McFadden (Lake City, S.C.) blasted a home run to left centerfield to give the Wasps an insurance run and make the final score 4-2.
True picked up the win in the circle for the Wasps, scattering six hits and two runs over seven innings of work, walking just two. Leah Powell suffered the loss for Averett.
At the plate, Morrissey went three-for-four with two runs scored while Anderson was two-for-three with a RBI.
Game Two – Averett 7, Emory & Henry 0
The Cougars got out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. A two run single up the middle by Leah Gibson highlighted the inning. Averett then added three more runs in the top of the second on four hits thanks to a RBI single by Carnes and a double by Jenna Rudder.
In the sixth inning, a double to right field by Hensley scored Rudder to give the Cougars their final run of the contest and made the score 7-0.
Amy Hamlett got the shutout win for Averett, scattering eight hits over seven innings with one strikeout. Freshman Katie Grimm (Staunton, Va.) suffered the loss for E&H, allowing six runs on nine hits, while striking out three batters.
Hensley went three-for-four at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored for Averett while Rudder went two-for-three with three runs.
For E&H offensively, Morrissey was two-for-four while sophomore third baseman Martha Fluharty (Halifax, N.C.) was two-for-three.
Emory & Henry will remain at home on Sunday when Virginia Wesleyan College visits to open Old Dominion Athletic Conference play. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m.
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