EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (13-21) stepped out of conference play to host Ferrum College (19-15) Tuesday afternoon at Wasps Field. The squads split their doubleheader with the Wasps taking game one, 6-4, and the Panthers winning the nightcap, 4-2.
Game One – Emory & Henry 6, Ferrum 4
The Panthers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to six hits, a walk and an error. Emily Nelson plated a pair to cap the scoring with a single to centerfield.
E&H answered on its first time up with two runs on a pair of groundouts, cutting the margin to 4-2. A single to centerfield by freshman catcher Amanda Whitlow (Floyd, Va.) drove in a run in the second to make the score 4-3.
In the fourth, the Wasps tied things up when Whitlow singled to centerfield for a second time, plating sophomore Jordan Whitcomb (Rocky Mount, Va.).
Emory & Henry took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of runs. A double to left field by junior second baseman Riley Pudney (Beech Mountain, N.C.) drove in freshman Rachel Smoot for the go-ahead run. The Wasps made it 6-4 with a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Taylor Doss (Damascus, Va.).
Whitlow finished the game two-for-three with two RBI and a run scored. Pudney and sophomore designated player Caley Hodge (Elizabethton, Tenn.) each drove in a run and had a base hit. Senior Taylor Banner (Castlewood, Va.) earned the win while senior Kaitlyn Pruitt (Abingdon, Va.) picked up the save, striking out two in the final inning.
Amber Coffin went four-for-four while Logan Barbour had two hits and scored a run. Lindsey Slover suffered the loss allowing two runs on two hits in relief.
Game Two – Ferrum 4, Emory & Henry 2
Emory & Henry struck first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Hodge and senior right fielder Hannah Bays (Abingdon, Va.) each had RBI base hits in the frame.
In the fifth, Ferrum scored a pair to tie the game at two runs apiece. The Panthers went ahead when Amanda Roberts got a pinch-hit single to centerfield. On the next at bat, Aiyana Lew drove in another run with a single through the right side for the final 4-2 score.
Barbour added two more hits, drove in a run and scored another while Lew had a hit, a run and a RBI. Courtney Rudd picked up the complete-game victory allowing two runs on six hits with 11 strikeouts.
Sophomore second baseman Danielle Loving (Elizabethton, Tenn.) had two hits while Hodge added a hit, a run and a RBI. Pruitt suffered the loss, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of relief. Pudney went 4.2 innings for a no-decision start.
Emory & Henry will step back into ODAC action on Saturday when it travels to face No. 5 Virginia Wesleyan College. First pitch between the Wasps and Marlins is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15