CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (4-0) earned another pair of wins on Tuesday at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. The Wasps defeated the Cougars of the University of Minnesota-Morris, 12-4, in the first game of the day and finished play with a 6-0 win over Dominican (Ill.) University.
Emory & Henry 12, Minnesota-Morris 4 (six innings)
The Wasps got out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning. With two runners on and no outs, freshman third baseman Caley Hodge (Elizabethton, Tenn.) homered to centerfield to put E&H up 3-0. Two batters later, with a runner on first, senior right fielder Bethany Anderson (Dublin, Va.) homered to right centerfield. Freshman centerfielder Leah Elswick (Raven, Va.) drove in a run later in the frame to make the score 6-0.
Emory & Henry added two runs in the second to go up 8-0 as Hodge and Anderson both had RBI doubles.
Minnesota-Morris got on the board with four runs in the fifth. Molly Olsen had a RBI single to right centerfield to get things going while Meghan Pomeroy drove in a run with a sacrifice fly later in the frame to make the score 8-4.
E&H answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore outfielder Brittany Scott (Elizabethton, Tenn.) doubled off the wall in left field, driving in a pair. The Wasps got another pair of runs in the sixth to end the game. A wild pitch brought home freshman third baseman Samantha Klein (Louisville, Ky.) and a groundout to third base by freshman shortstop Danielle Loving (Elizabethton, Tenn.) plated sophomore Jordan Chrisley (Dublin, Va.).
Junior pitcher Taylor Banner (Castlewood, Va.) earned the complete-game victory, striking out eight on her birthday. Hodge went two-for-two with two runs and four RBI while Anderson was two-for-two with three runs driven in. Sophomore Holly Eckard (Ringgold, Ga.) also had two hits in the contest.
Molly Olson and Cassie Sowada both went two-for-three with a run and a RBI. Mackenzie Weatherly suffered the loss, allowing six runs on six hits in just one inning pitched.
Emory & Henry 6, Dominican (Ill.) 0
Emory & Henry got things started with single runs in the first and third innings. Anderson had a RBI single to left field in the first and drove in a run in the third with a hit down the right field line.
In the fourth frame, Hodge hit her second homer of the day, plating two runs to make the score 5-0. Elswick drove in a run to start things off with a single up the middle.
The Wasps added a final run in the sixth on a double to left centerfield by junior first baseman Taylor Doss (Damascus, Va.), plating Hodge who hit a two-out single to left field.
Senior right-hander Brandy Bryant (Salem, Va.) allowed just two hits as she earned the complete-game, shutout win, striking out four. Hodge went two-for-three with three runs and two RBI while Anderson had two hits and two RBI.
Haley Locher took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Emory & Henry will complete its slate of six games at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Wednesday. The Wasps will face the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University at 9:00 a.m., and conclude play at 11:00 a.m. against Elms College.
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-photo courtesy of Joe Matthews