EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (11-10) bounced back on Thursday with a pair of one-sided non-conference wins over Bluefield State University (5-14) at home. The Wasps topped the Big Blue, 11-1, in five innings in the first game and earned a 19-2 win in the second contest.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Emory & Henry 11, Bluefield State 1 (five innings)
GAME TWO – Emory & Henry 19, Bluefield State 2 (five innings)
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Wasps Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (11-10, 2-4 SAC); Bluefield State (5-14, 0-0 CIAA)
Game One – Emory & Henry 11, Bluefield State 1 (five innings)
Emory & Henry jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom the first as sophomores Abigail Street (Glade Spring, Va.) and Rachel Hill (Standardsville, Va.) had RBI base knocks. Junior Danielle King (Spencer, Va.) scored on a wild pitch while junior Mackenzie Williams (St. Augustine, Fla.) drew a bases-loaded walk and senior Morgan Silvis (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) notched a sacrifice fly.
In the top of the second, BSU got on the board as Julianna Costanzo scored on a double steal to make it 5-1. The Wasps tacked on three in the bottom of the second to push the margin to 8-1 highlighted by a two-run home run by junior first baseman Lydia Taylor (Salem, Va.).
In the third, E&H pushed three more runs across for the final 11-1 score. King tallied a RBI double while senior Katelyn Siekerka (El Cajon, Calif.) smacked a single up the middle.
Junior right-hander MaKayla Dowdy (Blacksburg, Va.) earned the win in relief, pitching three shutout innings with two hits, a walk and a strikeout. Taylor Fells took the loss, allowing 10 earned runs on 14 hits and four walks, striking out three.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 19, Bluefield State 2 (five innings)
Emory & Henry sent 19 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first as the Wasps exploded for 15 runs. Siekerka got the scoring started with a grand slam while Hill had a grand slam of her own. Sophomore Emma Anderson (King William, Va.) provided a spark with her first career round-tripper, a three-run shot to left-center while senior Kenzie Ingo (Wytheville, Va.) also had a RBI triple in the frame.
In the second, E&H extended the lead to 16-0 on a solo home run by King. The third frame saw the Wasps tack on three more thanks to a home run by junior Grace Harper (Williamsburg, Va.), going up 19-0.
Bluefield State avoided the shutout in the top of the fifth inning when Paige Whittington drove in La'Naeyah Ayers with a base knock to left. Whittington would come around to score for the final 19-2 margin on a single to left-center by Lexi Shadowens.
Street earned the win, pitching three shutout innings with three hits and two strikeouts. Kylie Salazar was settled with the loss, permitting 12 runs on eight hits and two walks in just 0.2 innings.
Up Next
Emory & Henry remains at home on Saturday, hosting Lincoln Memorial University in a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
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