EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (16-11, 7-3 ODAC) concluded its eight-game homestand with a doubleheader split against Ferrum College (16-12, 6-6 ODAC) Wednesday afternoon in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action. The Panthers earned a 5-4 come-from-behind win in game one while the Wasps answered with a 10-2 "run-rule" victory in the nightcap.
E&H also welcomed several Little League Softball teams from the area to campus for the afternoon and participated in a brief Q-and-A session following the conclusion of the doubleheader.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Ferrum 5, Emory & Henry 4
GAME TWO – Emory & Henry 10, Ferrum 2 (five innings)
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Wasps Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (16-11, 7-3 ODAC); Ferrum (16-12, 6-6 ODAC)
Game One – Ferrum 5, Emory & Henry 4
Emory & Henry raced out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first with freshman left fielder Anna Thomas (Climax, N.C.) and junior shortstop Leanna Toler (Abingdon, Va.) both hitting RBI doubles. The score remained 3-0 until the top of the sixth when the Panthers put up five runs for a 5-3 advantage. Kassie Widner plated a pair on a pinch-hit single to right-center to highlight a four-hit frame for FC.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Wasps got within one, 5-4, with one out on a base hit by Thomas but were unable to push another run across despite a pair of hard-hit balls to the outfield.
Ashton Lambeth earned the complete-game win for Ferrum, allowing four runs on seven hits. E&H sophomore Cameron Derr (Cornelius, N.C.) took the loss with five runs on 10 hits despite six strikeouts.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 10, Ferrum 2 (five innings)
The Panthers got on the board in the top of the first on a single to left-center by Tori Scott. Emory & Henry answered in the bottom of the frame as sophomore first baseman Kendall Varner (Bassett, Va.) tagged a solo shot over the left field wall.
A RBI double by Toler in the third and a solo home run by senior designated player Madison McClanahan (Abingdon, Va.) in the fourth put the Wasps ahead 3-1. FC closed the gap to 3-2 on a solo home run by Lois Carpenter in the fifth, but that only awakened the E&H offense.
Toler got the scoring started with a single up the middle and four batters later after two more runs had already scored, junior catcher Alex Thomas (Orlando, Fla. ) drilled a two-run shot to centerfield. The Wasps loaded the bases and used discipline at the plate to draw a pair of walks to end the game after five, 10-2.
Emory & Henry sophomore Alex Braun (Cornelius, N.C.) picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Ferrum's Jasmine Agee suffered the loss, allowing eight runs on 12 hits in 4.1 innings.
Up Next
Emory & Henry will be on the road for its next eight games, beginning with an ODAC tilt against Randolph College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
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