VIRGINIA BEACH -- Virginia Wesleyan College's softball Marlins
commited an uncharacteristic seven errors on Saturday, but still
managed to produce a split that pinned the first Old Dominion
Athletic Conference loss of the season on Eastern Mennonite
University's Royals.
Playing before an overflow crowd at Marlins Field on "Strike Out
Cancer Day," the Marlins (20-4) overcame four errors in the second
game with 11 hits en route to a 9-5 victory. Sophomore
Morgan Stephens (Culpeper, Va./Highland)
hit 4-for-4 in the game, which included a double from
Jaclyn Quinn (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory)
and a two-run home run from rookie Season Dailey
(Norfolk, Va./Virginia Beach Frank W. Cox), her
fourth of the season.
Ironically, EMU (18-8, 9-1) bolted into a 5-1 lead after a
four-run third, but could not make it stick. VWC (20-4, 7-3)
answered with a three-run third, which included Dailey's homer and
an RBI single from rookie Kelly Keys (Manassas,
Va./Osbourn Park), scoring rookie Andrea
Shannon (Newville, Pa./Big Spring), who reached base
earlier on an error.
Virginia Wesleyan tied the game at 5-all in the bottom of the
fourth when junior Brianna Bertovich (Richmond,
Va./Monacan) belted a sacrifice fly to left to send
in rookie Tori Higginbotham (Glen Allen, Va./J.R.
Tucker), who drew a walk earlier.
Rookie MacKenzie Creech (Hillsborough,
N.C./Orange) helped the Marlins take control as she
did not give up a hit in the final three innings. VWC
complemented the effort with four runs in the sixth off three hits,
including a two-run single from Stephens. EMU dropped 1-2-3
in the seventh as the Marlins stopped the Royals' undefeated start
at nine games.
Creech (11-2) faced 13 batters and struck out six. She
allowed nothing after taking over for Christina
Crawford (Norfolk, Va./Granby), who struck out three,
walked three and gave up five hits.
Molly Smith (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) started in the circle for
EMU, but gave way to Lisa Lee (Buckingham, Va./Buckingham
County). They combined to strike out one, walk six and allow
11 hits and eight earned runs. Lee also led the Royals
offensive with a pair of hits.
The same pitchers guided EMU to the 4-1 win in the opener, as
the Royals took advantage of three VWC errors. EMU took the
lead in the top of the first inning when Jessica Blosser (Crimora,
Va./Wilson Memorial) led off by reaching base on an error.
She scored when Smith doubled to left center.
VWC outhit the Royals 7-6, but could not produce the big hit to
get on the scoreboard until the bottom of the seventh.
Bertovich singled to center field, driving in Higginbotham who
walked earlier.
Chelsea Henline (Chesapeake, Va./Great
Bridge) and Dailey both connected for two hits for
VWC in the first game, which included a Quinn double. Quinn
leads the Marlins with 16 doubles.
Blosser and Smith led EMU with two hits each.
Creech took the loss for the Marlins, pitching seven
innings. She struck out six and scattered six hits.
Smith and Lee combined to strike out two, walk three and allow
seven hits.
Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Sunday, Apr. 3, at 1:30
p.m., hosting the Eagles of Bridgewater College in another ODAC
twinbill at Marlins Field.
--AMDG--
