EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (15-7, 1-5 ODAC) split its Old Dominion Athletic Conference doubleheader with Roanoke College (7-13, 4-4 ODAC) Wednesday afternoon at home. It was the first time since the 2011 season and only the fourth time in program history.
Game One – Emory & Henry 4, Roanoke 2
Roanoke got single runs in both the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. Katie Romano had a single to centerfield that drove in Sarah Groft in the second to make it 2-0.
Emory & Henry closed the gap to 2-1 in the bottom of the third. Freshman catcher Jordan Chrisley (Dublin, Va.) had a bunt single to start things off and moved to second on a wild pitch. When sophomore first baseman Taylor Doss (Damascus, Va.) grounded into a fielder's choice but was safe on a throwing error, Chrisley came home to put the Wasps on the board.
In the fourth frame, E&H got three runs to take a 4-2 lead. With two outs and runners on first and second, senior left fielder Cortney Halsey (Independence, Va.) scored on an error by the second baseman. Senior second baseman Martha Fluharty (Halifax, N.C.) then doubled down the right field line to drive in a pair of runs and give the Wasps the advantage.
The Maroons would get baserunners in each of the final three innings but were unable to score any more runs as Emory & Henry claimed the 4-2 win.
Doss, sophomore right fielder Hannah Bays (Abingdon, Va.) and freshman centerfielder Devynne Stiltner (Meadowview, Va.) each had two hits in the game while Fluharty drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore right-hander Taylor Banner (Castlewood, Va.) picked up the win, scattering five hits and two runs over 5.1 innings of work. Junior Katie Grimm (Staunton, Va.) held strong for E&H in relief, while junior Brandy Bryant (Salem, Va.) picked up her second save of the year.
Roanoke was led offensively by Romano, who went three-for-three at the plate. Jordan Meador and Rhea Schleicher both had two hits as well. Kelly Higbie suffered the loss, allowing four unearned runs on eight hits in six innings of work.
Game Two – Roanoke 6, Emory & Henry 5 (eight innings)
Roanoke started things off with a run in the top of the first as Emily Lawrence singled through the left side to plate Schleicher. The Maroons made it 4-0 midway through the second frame, scoring all three runs on a single by Romano to centerfield.
Emory & Henry responded with three runs in the bottom of the second. With two runners on and two outs, Chrisley hit her first collegiate home run, a line drive down the left field line to make it 4-3.
The Wasps took a 5-4 lead in the fourth stanza as Stiltner had a RBI groundout to plate freshman shortstop Riley Pudney (Beech Mountain, N.C.) and Chrisley drove in her fourth run of the game on a single to left field.
In the top of the sixth, the Maroons got a run back to knot the game at five runs apiece. Stephanie Clark singled through the left side to plate Schleicher, who drew a two-out walk to start things off.
After a scoreless seventh inning, the game went to the International Tie-Breaker for the eighth. With a runner placed on second base, Roanoke hit a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third and a single through the right side by Clark gave the Maroons the 6-5 lead.
Emory & Henry was unable to push a run across in the bottom of the eighth as Roanoke claimed the nightcap, 6-5 and salvaged the split on the day.
Jenna Pendleton had three hits while Clark drove in a pair with two hits. Schleicher was two-for-four with four runs scored as well in the game. Clark picked up the win in the circle, striking out six while allowing five runs on nine hits over eight innings of work.
E&H was led by Chrisley's three-for-four performance as she drove in a quartet and scored once. Pudney went two-for-three with a pair of runs while Stiltner had a hit, a run and a RBI. Bryant had a bend-not-break day in the circle, allowing only four runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Banner suffered the loss, pitching two innings in relief, allowing one unearned run.
Emory & Henry will be back in action on Saturday when it travels to Eastern Mennonite University for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
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