MARS HILL, N.C. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (9-8, 2-2 SAC) earned its first South Atlantic Conference wins of the year on Sunday, picking up a sweep over Mars Hill University (9-11, 0-2 SAC). The Wasps posted an 8-5 come-from-behind win in game one and powered through the nightcap for a 16-7 win in six innings.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Emory & Henry 8, Mars Hill 5
GAME TWO – Emory & Henry 16, Mars Hill 7 (six innings)
LOCATION – Mars Hill, North Carolina
VENUE – Ponder Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (9-8, 2-2 SAC); Mars Hill (9-11, 0-2 SAC)
Game One – Emory & Henry 8, Mars Hill 5
The Lions got out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. An error in the outfield allowed a pair of runs to score on Payton Little's at bat and Micki Maxson had a sacrifice fly to right in the frame.
Emory & Henry immediately answered with five two-out runs in the second. With the bases loaded, junior first baseman Danielle King (Spencer, Va.) plated a pair with a single up the middle. Sophomore second baseman Abigail Street (Glade Spring, Va.) drove in another with an infield hit and junior designated player Olivia Yates (Floyd, Va.) added two more with a base knock to left-center.
Mars Hill scored single runs in the third and fourth to tie the contest at 5-5. Meghan Murphy drove in Little with a sacrifice fly in the third and Little plated Leah Grimes in the fourth on a double to left-center.
In the fifth, E&H regained the lead when sophomore third baseman Ashlyn Rachon (Greeneville, Tenn.) drew a bases-loaded hit by pitch. The Wasps got another pair of runs in the sixth when Yates tagged a two-run shot to left field for the final 8-5 margin.
Wasp freshman left-hander Bailey Payne (Fairview, N.C.) earned the win in relief, striking out 10 as she allowed four runs on two hits and eight walks. MHU's Kayla Gallagher took the loss, permitting eight runs on eight hits with six strikeouts, walking five and hitting six.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 16, Mars Hill 7 (six innings)
Emory & Henry scored two in the first as Street and senior designated player Morgan Silvis (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) drove in runs. In the second, the Wasps pushed the lead to 4-0 highlighted by a base hit by junior centerfielder Mackenzie Williams (St. Augustine, Fla.).
The third frame saw the Wasps explode for seven runs to go ahead 11-0. Sophomore shortstop Rachel Hill (Standardsville, Va.) launched a grand slam while Yates drilled her second two-run homer of the day.
Mars Hill got on the board in the third when Zoie Pistel scored on a popup. The Lions added two more in the fourth to close the gap to 11-3 with Murphy singling down the left field line and Grimes drawing a bases-loaded walk.
E&H got a run back in the fifth on a solo home run by King to extend the lead to 12-3. The bottom of the frame saw MHU score three highlighted by RBI singles from Jessica Senn and Pistel.
In the sixth, Emory & Henry scored four more to go ahead 16-7. Hill drove in two with a base hit to left and Rachon capped the Wasps' offense with a two-run shot to left-center. The Lions got one back in the bottom of the frame on a solo home run by Farley Park, but the nine-run margin signaled the end of the game at the end of the inning, 16-7.
Yates earned the win in the circle for E&H, scattering five earned runs on seven hits and six walks with three strikeouts. Mars Hill's Blyth Freeman suffered the loss, allowing 11 earned runs on 16 hits with four strikeouts.
Up Next
Emory & Henry returns home on Wednesday for a SAC doubleheader against Anderson (S.C.) University. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
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