FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- A solo run in the bottom of the fifth inning Tuesday gave the host Eagles of the University of Mary Washington a 4-3 lead over nationally ranked Virginia Wesleyan College.

It was a temporary lead however, as the No. 25 Marlins exploded for seven runs in the top of the sixth inning, and tacked on two more in the top of the seventh, to post a 12-4 non-conference victory in the first game of a doubleheader.  The Marlins followed suit in the second game, overcoming a 2-1 deficit with a two run third that helped the team from Virginia Beach to a 5-3 win.

Virginia Wesleyan (3-1) connected for 24 hits in the two games, led in the opener by senior Jaclyn Quinn (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory), who cranked out a solo home run and a two-run single.  SophomoreTori Higginbotham (Glen Allen, Va./J.R. Tucker) added a triple and two singles, and juniorChelsea Henline (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge), sophomore Andrea Shannon (Newville, Pa./Big Spring), and rookie Kristina Karagiorgis (Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods) belted two singles each.

In the second game sophomore Season Dailey (Norfolk, Va./Virginia Beach Frank W. Cox) connected for a pair of doubles and sophomoreKelly Keys (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park), Higginbotham, and Quinn all added one each.  Senior Brianna Bertovich (Richmond, Va./Monancan), Dailey, and Karagiorgis all finished with two hits each.

Karagiorgis led off VWC's big sixth inning in the first game, sending a single into center field.  Shannon, Higginbotham, and Henline all followed with hits, before Karagiorgis came to bat for the second time in the inning.  She ripped a two-run triple to right, scoring Henline and Bertovich, and helping the Marlins to a 10-4 lead.

VWC added two runs in the top of the seven with the help of an error and singles from sophomore Megan Zahnd (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) and Quinn.

Sophomore MacKenzie Creech (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) pitched to 22 batters in the opener, striking out one, walking two, and allowing six hits and three earned runs.  Karagiorgis stepped in to pitch to seven batters in the fifth and sixth innings, fanning one and allowing one hit.  Rookie Sara Erlichman (Bedford, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) faced the last three batters and retired them in order.

Brianna D'Agata (Hanover, Pa./Southwestern) led UMW (2-6) in the opener with two hits.  Annie Blaine (Arlington, Va./Yorktown) took the pitching loss.

Virginia Wesleyan scored first in the second game when Bertovich singled to send in Quinn, who doubled to center field earlier.  But, Mary Washington came back in the bottom of the first to score two runs with the help of an earror and three hits.

Virginia Wesleyan jumped back in front to stay with a two-run third, as Bertovich drove in both runs with a single to right field.  She scored Higginbotham, who doubled, and Quinn, who drew a walk.

The Marlins added solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pad the lead.  Dailey led off the fifth with a double to left center and scored on a Karagiorgis single to center field.  In the sixth senior Brenae Pettit (Onancock, Va./Nandua) single to center, stole second and scored when Dailey doubled again, this time to left.

Creech started in the circle for the Marlins and faced 17 batters.  She struck out one and scattered just four hits and one earned run.  Hannah Otterman (Roanoke, Va./Patrick Henry) took the loss for the Eagles.  Morgan Lamon (Herndon, Va./Oakton) and Kerry Busby (Kennett, Pa./Kennett) led the UMW offense with a pair of hits each.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Friday, March 2, in its own Beach Blast tournament at Princess Anne Park.  The Marlins take on Maryland's Stevenson University at 2 p.m. and Pennsylvania's Franklin & Marshall College at 4 p.m.

--AMDG--