BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The No. 17 Emory & Henry College Softball Team (21-3, 11-1 ODAC) grabbed a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference wins at Bridgewater College (10-8, 7-7 ODAC) Saturday afternoon to remain tied for first in the league standings. The Wasps won game one, 2-1, and held off a late rally by the Eagles in game two for a 7-4 victory.
The Basics
GAME ONE – No. 17 Emory & Henry 2, Bridgewater 1
GAME TWO – No. 17 Emory & Henry 7, Bridgewater 4
LOCATION – Bridgewater, Virginia
VENUE – Fulk Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (21-3, 11-1 ODAC); Bridgewater (10-8, 7-7 ODAC)
Game One – No. 17 Emory & Henry 2, Bridgewater 1
Emory & Henry opened up a 2-0 lead in the first as sophomore right fielder Emily Scaggs (Riner, Va.) hit a two-run single with the bases loaded to drive in junior centerfielder Anna Thomas (Climax, Va.) and senior designated player Alex Braun (Lexington, S.C.).
The Wasps stranded runners in the second, third and fourth innings but their defense was just as stingy, keeping it a 2-0 game. In the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles' Brooklynn Fridley drew a leadoff walk and worked her way around the base path. With teammate Katrina Martin caught in a rundown, Fridley was able to score from third base to draw the score to 2-1.
BC threatened again in the sixth, getting runners on second and third with one out but a pair of strikeouts by E&H senior Cameron Derr (Denver, N.C.) ended the inning and stopped the momentum. The seventh frame went nearly without any event as the Wasps went down in order in the top half. A two-out walk by Avery Pinder was undone when she was called out for leaving first early, ending the game.
Derr struck out 13 as she earned the complete-game win, allowing one run on three hits. Bridgewater's Brantley Swift took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks.
Game Two – No. 17 Emory & Henry 7, Bridgewater 4
The Wasps again jumped out to an early lead, this time scoring five runs in the second. Braun and senior third baseman Allyson Steadman (Kingsport, Tenn.) both hit two-run doubles in the frame.
In the bottom of the third, BC got a run back as Sarah Wimer hit a double to left field. E&H made the score 6-1 when Braun drove in Thomas on a fielder's choice.
Bridgewater struck again in the fifth as Tori Shifflett doubled off the wall in left-center to drive in Martin, making the score 6-2. Emory & Henry answered again for a 7-2 advantage as Braun plated senior shortstop Kyndall Hiatt (Ararat, Va.) with a base hit to right.
Down to their final out, the Eagles got one aboard for Shifflett, whose two-run homer to left-centerfield just cleared the fence to close the gap to 7-4. BC would be unable to push another run across as E&H completed the sweep.
Braun earned her 10th win of the year, as she scattered four runs on eight hits with 11 strikeouts. Kathryn Thomas took the loss for the Eagles, allowing five unearned runs on five hits and three walks in two innings of work.
Up Next
Emory & Henry next play on Thursday when it resumes its doubleheader with No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan University. The games will be played starting at 3:00 p.m., on the campus of Averett University in Danville, Virginia. VWU leads 4-0 in the top of the second inning of game one.
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