BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- A hot Virginia Wesleyan College softball team concluded the regular season with a major sweep, taking two from nationally-ranked Bridgewater College.

The host Eagles entered Wednesday's Old Dominion Athletic Conference twinbill as a 30-game winner and ranked No. 23 in the lastest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll.

But, Virginia Wesleyan, which captured the top spot in the ODAC Tuesday night with a sweep of Eastern Mennonite University, put the final touches on a near-perfect ODAC season by pinning 5-0 and 7-1 losses on the Eagles (30-10, 12-6 ODAC). The victories improved VWC's ODAC record to 17-1, a program record, and its overall mark to 25-10.  The Marlins have won 12 of their last 13 outings and ended the season with four consecutive sweeps in ODAC competition.

The Marlins trailed only once at Bridgewater.  That was in the second game when the Eagles took a 1-0 first-inning lead.  It lasted only a couple of innings however, as Virginia Wesleyan took the lead for good in the top of third with two runs, all on two outs.  Jaclyn Quinn (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) walked and Kristina Karagiorgis (Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods) singled up the middle.  Both runners scored on a Brianna Bertovich (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) double to left center field.

VWC tacked on another run in the top of the sixth when Season Dailey (Norfolk, Va./Virginia Beach Frank W. Cox) doubled to score Chelsea Henline (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge).  The Marlins pulled away for good with a four-run seventh, highlighted by a Karagiorgis two-run home run and a two-run Heline double.

The Marlins out-hit Bridgewater 9-4, led by Karagiorgis' two hits.  Karagiorgis also picked up the pitching win, improving to 14-3.  She walked four batters, scattered just four hits, and did not give up an earned run.  She also recorded seven strikeouts, increasing his season total to 104.

Aven Thomas (10-5, Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) took the loss for the Eagles.  Hillary Rees (Mount Crawford, Va./Turner Ashby) led the team with two hits.

Game one started with three scoreless innings, before Virginia Wesleyan took the lead for good with a three-run fourth.  Kelly Keys (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) and Heather Bishop (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes) belted singles  for VWC in the inning, which included two BC errors.

VWC tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh when Tori Higginbotham (Glen Allen, Va./J.R. Tucker) ripped a two-run homer to right field, scoring Brenae Pettit (Onancock, Va./Nandua) who reached base earlier on a fielder's choice.

VWC hitting was led by Keys, who hit a single and double.

Marlin defense and the pitching of MacKenzie Creech (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) limited Bridgewater to a single hit by Thomas.  Creech struck out four batters and walk three en route to improving to 10-5.

Heather Jenkins (Locust Grove, Va./Orange County) pitched the distance for BC and took the loss, dropping to 15-5.

--AMDG--