FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (0-2) opened the 2013 season on Sunday with a pair of losses in the Methodist University Early Bird Tournament. The Wasps fell to the Eagles of the University of Mary Washington, 7-0, in their first game of the day before dropping the nightcap to the host Methodist Monarchs, 4-1.
The tournament was originally scheduled to be on Friday and Saturday and have four games, but the weather pushed all the competition to Sunday afternoon.
Mary Washington 7, Emory & Henry 0
UMW got out to a 2-0 lead after the second inning of play. Kerry Busby had a RBI single to right field and Brandee Adam plated a run as she grounded out to first base.
The score remained the same until the top of seventh frame where the Eagles broke the contest open with five runs. Mary Washington's Hannah Otter doubled to left centerfield, driving in two runs to highlight the inning.
Otter, Brittany Scites and Emily Briggs each had two hits in the contest for the Eagles while Otter picked up the win in the circle, striking out eight as she scattered three hits and a walk over seven innings of work.
Junior left fielder Sylvia Robbins (Smithfield, Va.) went two-for-three with a pair of doubled while senior catcher Ashley Ebersole (Maurertown, Va.) had a double of her own. Sophomore Brandy Bryant (Salem, Va.) suffered the loss as she allowed seven runs (two earned) on nine hits with two strikeouts.
Methodist 4, Emory & Henry 1
The Monarchs got on the board in the top of the first as Ally Griffin singled up the middle to score Katie Byrd. Methodist made it 2-0 in the third with Lindsay Trippett plated Byrd for her second run of the contest.
MU added single runs in the fifth and sixth to go up 4-0. The Wasps would not be shut out as Robbins led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. After Robbins advanced to second base, junior second baseman Martha Fluharty (Halifax, N.C.) doubled to centerfield for the RBI.
Methodist was led by Tippett as she went four-for-four at the plate. Byrd was three for four with two runs scored and a RBI. Amanda Rodriguez picked up the win in the circle, scattering five hits and five strikeouts over 5.1 innings of work, allowing just one run. Jessica Farmer picked up the save.
Freshman pitcher Taylor Banner (Castlewood, Va.) allowed two runs in two innings of work striking out two despite the loss while freshman Kaitlyn Pruitt (Abindgon, Va.) struck out seven in five innings of relief.
Emory & Henry will next take the field on Monday, March 4 when it faces off against Rivier (N.H.) University in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at 9:30 a.m. The Wasps are scheduled to play eight games in four days at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic.
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