BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (17-1, 7-1 ODAC) remains atop the Old Dominion Athletic Conference standings after a doubleheader sweep of Bridgewater College (9-13, 2-6 ODAC) Sunday afternoon at Fulk Field. The Wasps won a pitchers' duel, 1-0, to start the day and saw their offense explode for a 13-6 victory in game two. E&H's sweep of the Eagles was the second in as many seasons and only the third in the history of the program.
Game One – Emory & Henry 1, Bridgewater 0
After stranding runners in both the first and second innings, E&H got on the board in the top of the third. With one out and runners on second and third, freshman third baseman Caley Hodge (Elizabethton, Tenn.) reached safely on an error by the third baseman, driving in sophomore catcher Jordan Chrisley (Dublin, Va.), who led things off with a one-out walk.
The Wasps had base runners in each inning but the Eagles' defense and pitching prevented any more runs from scoring. Emory & Henry senior pitcher Brandy Bryant (Salem, Va.) carried a perfect game into the fifth inning and gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out two for the shutout victory.
Hodge and freshman centerfielder Leah Elswick (Raven, Va.) each had two hits in the game with Hodge driving in the difference-maker.
Bridgewater's Amanda Lutz suffered the loss despite scattering seven hits and two walks over her complete-game. Samantha Bird reached base twice on a pair of walks.
It was the third-straight time that E&H has defeated BC via shutout, dating back to a doubleheader sweep in 2014.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 13, Bridgewater 6
Emory & Henry got out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With two outs and two runners on, junior left fielder Hannah Bays (Abingdon, Va.) singled to centerfield driving in Hodge from second base.
The Eagles responded in the bottom of the frame with a three-run home run by Samantha Bird to take a 3-1 lead.
In the second, E&H scored five times thanks to five hits, a walk and an error. Junior first baseman Taylor Doss (Damascus, Va.) highlighted the inning with a two-run double to centerfield. Freshman catcher Bailey Williams (Wilmington, N.C.) also had a RBI-double in the frame as the Wasps went up 6-3.
Bridgewater added a run in the bottom of the second when Jen Balcom doubled to left field, plating Brooke Throckmorton who reached on a fielder's choice two batters earlier to close the gap to 6-4.
The Wasps extended their lead to 9-4 with a three-run fifth inning. Williams had another RBI base-hit to start things and a single by Chrisley drove in Williams and sophomore Holly Eckard (Ringgold, Va.), who had a pinch-hit single earlier in the frame.
Doss and freshman right fielder Danielle Loving (Elizabethton, Tenn.) each had run-scoring doubles in the sixth while a pair of singles to left field by Elswick and sophomore Alison Hughs (Woodlawn, Tenn.) drove in two more runs in the seventh for a 13-4 lead.
The Eagles got two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make the final score 13-6. Bird doubled to centerfield, plating Rayann Foltz, while an error by the first baseman allowed Brianna Cox to score on the next at bat.
Elswick went four-for-four in game two while Doss had three hits and three RBI. Williams went three-for-three with two runs and two RBI while Bays and Hodge had two hits each. Junior right-hander Taylor Banner (Castlewood, Va.) earned the win for the Wasps scattering four runs and seven hits over 4.1 innings pitched. Seniors Katie Grimm (Staunton, Va.) and Roxanne Hillman (Clintwood, Va.) both pitched effectively in relief for E&H.
Bridgewater had 12 hits in the game led by Bird's two-for-four with four RBI and one run outing. Cox had two hits and two runs while Balcom added two hits and a RBI. Cox suffered the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits in two innings of work.
Emory & Henry will remain on the road on Wednesday when it travels to Greensboro, North Carolina for an ODAC doubleheader with Guilford College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15