EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (14-6) picked up a split in its doubleheader with Bluefield College (3-25) Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Rams claimed a 4-2 win in game one while the Wasps picked up an 11-0, five-inning victory in the nightcap. The twin-billing also served as E&H's third annual Light It Up Blue Day in support of the Autism Speaks campaign.
Game One – Bluefield 4, Emory & Henry 2
Emory & Henry struck first in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs and nobody on, freshman catcher Jordan Chrisley (Dublin, Va.) laid down a bunt single. Sophomore right fielder Hannah Bays (Abingdon, Va.) tagged a double to right centerfield to drive in Chrisley and give the Wasps a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Rams took a 2-1 lead in the sixth. After Kasey Holcomb drew a leadoff walk, Ailne Uehara doubled to left center to tie the game. Ali Bartley plated Uehara with a single down the left field line to take the lead. Bluefield would get the bases loaded but E&H worked out of the trouble.
In the bottom of the sixth, E&H tied the game at two runs apiece. With the bases loaded, senior outfielder Cortney Halsey (Independence, Va.) drew a walk to bring home a run. The Wasps had an opportunity to score more runs, but left the bases loaded.
Bluefield got a pair of runs in the seventh for the final 4-2 margin thanks to a two-RBI single to centerfield by Bartley, who finished the game three-for-four with a trio of RBI. Morgan Stephens also had two hits while Uehara scored twice. Bri Sparks picked up the win, scattering two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts over seven innings of work.
Senior second baseman Martha Fluharty (Halifax, N.C.) was two-for-four while Halsey and Bays each had RBI for the Wasps. Sophomore Taylor Banner (Castlewood, Va.) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 11, Bluefield 0 (five innings)
Emory & Henry exploded for five runs in the bottom of the first, setting the tone for the nightcap. Fluharty got things going with a single to right field, and two batters later freshman designated player Holly Eckard (Ringgold, Va.) drilled her first collegiate home run to left centerfield to make it 4-0. Halsey made it 5-0 for the Wasps with a RBI double to right field.
After a 1-2-3 inning in the field, E&H added four more runs on four hits and a pair of Bluefield errors. Sophomore first baseman Taylor Doss (Damascus, Va.) had a RBI single to left field while Bays and Eckard both scored on the Lady Rams' miscues to make it 9-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Emory & Henry chipped in two more runs for the final 11-0 margin. Freshman Shelby Wray (Boones Mill, Va.) and junior Roxanne Hillman (Clintwood, Va.) each had run-scoring base hits for the Wasps.
Chrisley and Doss had two hits each in the game as 13 different Wasps reached base safely. Eckard scored twice and drove in a trio with her round-tripper. Junior right-hander Brandy Bryant (Salem, Va.) picked up the three-hit shutout, striking out one in the process.
Holcomb, Bartley and Uehara had a single each for Bluefield as Anna Davis took the loss, allowing nine runs on 11 hits in just 1.1 innings. Uehara struck out six batters in 2.2 innings of relief.
Emory & Henry will return to action on Thursday when it welcomes Roanoke College for an Old Dominion Athletic Conference doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.
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