ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (5-1) made it five wins in a row Sunday afternoon as it picked up a doubleheader sweep of North Carolina Wesleyan College (5-7) at Edge Field. The Wasps took game one, 2-1, and prevailed in the nightcap, 9-0.
Game One – Emory & Henry 2, North Carolina Wesleyan 1
Emory & Henry got out to a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning. Freshman shortstop Riley Pudney (Beech Mountain, N.C.) started things off with a one-out single to left field and then stole second base. Senior second baseman Martha Fluharty (Halifax, N.C.) drove her in with a single to centerfield.
After four-straight scoreless innings, the Wasps made it 2-0 in the top of the sixth. Sophomore right fielder Hannah Bays (Abingdon, Va.) singled to third base and then turned her running duties over to high school teammate Kaitlyn Pruitt (Abingdon, Va.). Pruitt reached second on Fluharty's at bat with an error by the centerfielder and then took the remaining 120 feet on a wild pitch and a passed ball.
The Battling Bishops closed the gap to 2-1 with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Brittany Manning drew a walk to lead off the inning and was on third with a pair of ground outs to third base. Sarah Roberts then singled to left field, plating Manning.
Neither team was able to add to its lead in the final inning to leave the final score at 2-1.
Emory & Henry managed only five hits in the game but was rewarded with four walks. Fluharty had the biggest knock of the game, driving in Pudney in the first inning. Junior pitcher Brandy Bryant (Salem, Va.) moved to 2-1 on the year as she struck out eight in her complete-game win, allowing just three hits.
Jasmine Edgren took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 9, North Carolina Wesleyan 0
Though it took until the third inning to get going, Emory & Henry's offense showed up in a big way in the second game of the day. The Wasps got things going on a double to left centerfield by Pudney that plated a pair of runners. Fluharty and freshman third baseman Ragan Halsey (Hillsville, Va.) also had RBI base hits in the inning to give E&H a 4-0 lead.
Emory & Henry made it 7-0 after the fifth. Sophomore first baseman Taylor Doss (Damascus, Va.) got things started with a run-scoring double to left center while Ragan Halsey and senior left fielder Cortney Halsey (Independence, Va.) drove in runs as well.
The Wasps got their final two runs in the top of the seventh when freshman centerfielder Devynne Stiltner (Meadowview, Va.) reached on an error by the second baseman that allowed a pair of runs to score.
The E&H defense did not allow any NCWC baserunner to get past second in the final game, winning 9-0 for the third time in its last four outings.
Pudney went three-for-four with two doubles and two RBI in game two while Doss also had a pair of doubles and was three-for-four. Fluharty, Halsey and Stiltner also had two hits each as the Wasps tallied a season-high 14 hits in the game. Sophomore right-hander Taylor Banner (Castlewood, Va.) picked up the complete-game shutout, allowing just five hits and two walks while striking out two.
Edgren had two hits in game two for the Battling Bishops while Alexis Jones doubled for NCWC's only extra-base hit of the game. Cindy Allen took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in four innings pitched.
Emory & Henry will travel to Winston-Salem on Wednesday afternoon for a doubleheader with Salem College. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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