HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (16-8, 2-6 ODAC) split its slate of Old Dominion Athletic Conference games with Eastern Mennonite University (9-12, 4-5 ODAC) Saturday afternoon. The Wasps took game one by a 6-4 score in nine innings while the Royals claimed an 8-3 win in the nightcap.
Game One – Emory & Henry 6, Eastern Mennonite 4 (nine innings)
Eastern Mennonite got out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. With two outs, the Royals got a pair of runners on and then Nicolette Cuevas tripled to drive them both in. EMU made it 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Cuevas collected her third RBI of the day, driving in Aislinn Lucas, who singled to get things started.
The Wasps responded with three runs in the fifth to tie the game. Sophomore right fielder Hannah Bays (Abingdon, Va.) and freshman catcher Jordan Chrisley (Dublin, Va.) both had RBI base hits in the inning.
After getting through seven innings of regulation with a 3-3 score, Emory & Henry took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth. With junior Bethany Anderson (Dublin, Va.) placed on second base by the International Tiebreaker Rule, back-to-back base hits by junior Roxanne Hillman (Clintwood, Va.) and freshman Ragan Halsey (Hillsville, Va.) gave the Wasps the advantage and a runner on third with no outs. E&H was unable to bring home another run in the inning.
EMU tied things up at four runs apiece in the bottom of the eighth. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third base, Brooke Hensley reached on a two-out error by the shortstop, tying the game. The Wasps were able to get the third out to prevent any other damage.
In the ninth, Emory & Henry recorded two runs for a 6-4 lead. Senior Cortney Halsey (Independence, Va.) put the Wasps ahead on a groundout by Bays and freshman centerfielder Devynne Stiltner (Meadowview, Va.) scored from third after Anderson singled through the right side.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Wasps did not allow the Royals' baserunner to reach third and stayed strong with two on and one out for the 6-4 win.
Stiltner went three-for-four with two runs to lead Emory & Henry while Chrisley had two hits and Bays drove in a pair. Sophomore right-hander Taylor Banner (Castlewood, Va.) went the distance, scattering six hits and three walks over nine innings of work for her seventh win of the year.
EMU was led offensively by Cuevas, who drove in three on her pair of base hits. Lucas was also two-for-four, scoring twice. Cara Neikirk suffered the loss, allowing only two earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts.
Game Two – Eastern Mennonite 8, Emory & Henry 3
The Royals scored a run in both the bottom of the first and the second for a 2-0 lead. Mariah Foltz and Brooke Sigrist had the RBI base hits for EMU.
Emory & Henry closed the gap to 2-1 in the third when freshman shortstop Riley Pudney (Beech Mountain, N.C.) scored on a wild pitch after doubling to left field to lead off the inning.
Eastern Mennonite got three runs for a 5-1 advantage in the bottom half of the third. Brooke Hensley led things off with a one-out solo home run while Lucas and Cuevas each had run-scoring doubles later in the frame.
In the top of the fifth, the Wasps got two runs back. Pudney came home from third when Stiltner grounded out to second base and Chrisley had a sacrifice fly to drive in Cortney Halsey, making the score 5-3.
EMU pushed the advantage to 6-3 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Cuevas and got two more in the sixth for the final 8-3 margin.
Foltz and Lucas both had three hits in the nightcap while Lucas and Cuevas drove in a pair each. Jordan Aylor picked up the three-hit, complete-game win, allowing only one earned run with three strikeouts.
Junior Brandy Bryant (Salem, Va.) took the loss for E&H, allowing five runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings of work. Pudney scored both times she reached base for the Wasps while Chrisley and Stiltner drove in runs.
Emory & Henry will remain on the road on Sunday when it travels to Bridgewater College for a 2:00 p.m. double header with the Eagles.
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