HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team (11-8, 4-0 ODAC) remained atop the Old Dominion Athletic Conference standings with a sweep of Eastern Mennonite University (11-7, 1-3 ODAC) Saturday afternoon. The Wasps took game one by a 7-0 score and completed the sweep with an 11-9 win in eight innings. It was E&H's second regular-season sweep in as many years over EMU and third in the last five seasons.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Emory & Henry 7, Eastern Mennonite 0
GAME TWO – Emory & Henry 11, Eastern Mennonite 9 (eight innings)
LOCATION – Harrisonburg, Virginia
VENUE – Gehman Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (11-8, 4-0 ODAC); Eastern Mennonite (11-7, 1-3 ODAC)
Game One – Emory & Henry 7, Eastern Mennonite 0
Emory & Henry opened up a 4-0 lead in the top of the third highlighted by a single up the middle by senior right fielder Rachel Smoot (Riner, Va.). Sophomore first baseman Kendall Varner (Bassett, Va.) made it 5-0 in the fourth with a sacrifice fly.
The Wasps pushed the margin to 6-0 in the fifth as junior shortstop Leanna Toler (Abingdon, Va.) notched an inside-the-park home run and capped the scoring on an infield single by senior Vangie Borchert (Asheboro, N.C.) in the sixth.
Sophomore Cameron Derr (Cornelius, N.C.) picked up the shutout, striking out eight while allowing just three hits. Alia Miller suffered the loss for the Royals, allowing four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 11, Eastern Mennonite 9 (eight innings)
The Wasps scored a pair of runs in the first as senior centerfielder Erin Anderson (Aylett, Va.) hit a sacrifice fly and Smoot put up an infield single. EMU tied the contest on Miller's two-run double in the bottom of the third.
In the fifth, Emory & Henry scored five times highlighted by sophomore Mia Altizer's (Abingdon, Va.) pinch-hit double to push the margin to 7-2. The Royals scored five runs over the next two innings to tie the game, 7-7, with six complete.
After a scoreless seventh frame, the Wasps' offense opened up in the eighth with four runs (11-7). Sophomore Allyson Steadman (Kingsport, Tenn.) and junior Courtney Herron (Roanoke, Va.) had RBI base hits while two runs scored when Anderson reached on a fielding error by the second baseman.
Eastern Mennonite scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to draw the score to 11-9, but would get no closer.
E&H junior Tiffany Cole (Wise, Va.) earned the win in relief, allowing one earned run on four hits in three innings pitched. Kelsi Martin took the damage for the Royals, allowing all 11 runs on 12 hits in 6.1 innings pitched.
Up Next
Emory & Henry will return home on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader against Southern Virginia University. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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