No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan Softball Tops Emory & Henry Sunday In Regular Season Finale

Allyson Steadman plays defense.
-photo courtesy of Kauhlil King, E&H '19

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan University Softball Team (39-1, 17-1 ODAC) earned a doubleheader sweep of visiting Emory & Henry College (28-12, 9-9 ODAC) in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play Sunday afternoon. The Marlins took game one, 3-1 and completed the afternoon with a 6-1 victory.

Both teams are listed in the first NCAA Division III Atlantic Region rankings of the season, which were released late Thursday. The Marlins, who have occupied the No. 1 spot in the nation all season, are first while the Wasps sit at seventh in the region.

The Basics
GAME ONE No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan 3, Emory & Henry 1
GAME TWO No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan 6, Emory & Henry 1
LOCATION – Virginia Beach, Virginia
VENUE – Marlin Park
RECORDS – Emory & Henry 28-12 (9-9 ODAC); Virginia Wesleyan 39-1 (17-1 ODAC)

Game One – No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan 3, Emory & Henry 1
- E&H got out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when senior shortstop Leah Elswick (Honaker, Va.) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
- The Marlins scored three times in the third for what would be the final 3-1 margin. Kiersten Richardson got things started with a double while VWU added runs on a wild pitch and a squeeze play.
- Hanna Hull picked up the victory, allowing one unearned run on two hits with seven strikeouts.
- Wasp freshman Alex Braun (Cornelius, N.C.) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on one hit with five walks.

Game Two – No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan 6, Emory & Henry 1
- The Wasps again scored in the top of the first, this time on a ground ball by senior first baseman Caley Hodge (Elizabethton, Tenn.) which drove in junior centerfielder Erin Anderson (Aylett, Va.).
- A shallow sacrifice fly by Katelyn Biando drove in Madison Glaubke in the bottom of the first to tie the game, 1-1.
- Virginia Wesleyan scored four runs in the bottom of the second, one of which came on a single by Richardson and another on a sacrifice fly by Howerin.
- The Marlins capped the scoring in the third, 6-1, thanks to a double by Tessa Cardamone.
- VWU's Carla Hall got the win, allowing one unearned run on five hits in seven innings of work.
- E&H freshman Cameron Derr (Cornelius, N.C.) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits with five walks in 4.1 innings pitched.

Up Next
- Emory & Henry will now await the release of the pairings for the 2018 ODAC Softball Tournament.
- The ODAC Tournament will take place at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia between Friday, April 27 and Sunday, April 29.

---E&H---