VIRGINIA BEACH -- Virginia Wesleyan College's softball Marlins rallied twice Saturday to take an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader from Shenandoah University at Marlins Field.

The Marlins tied game one with a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning and pulled away with a three-run fifth inning to post a 5-1 decision.  Shenandoah produced a two-run fourth inning to open a 3-1 lead, but Virginia Wesleyan tied the game in the bottom of the same inning and outscored the Hornets 5-0 in the next two innings en route to an 8-3 victory.

The sweep was the third in a row and fifth of the season for the Marlins (18-4), who improved their ODAC-leading record to 6-0.  Shenandoah fell to 15-11 overall and to 5-5 in the league.

VWC tied the opener in the bottom of the fourth when junior Season Dailey (Norfolk/Virginia Beach Frank W. Cox) ripped a triple to left field and scored later on a wild pitch.  The Marlins took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs, helped in by doubles by junior Lindsay Inzana (Chesapeake/Grassfield)and rookie Courtney Bogan (Round Hill/Woodgrove).

Junior All-American Tori Higginbotham (Glen Allen/J.R. Tucker) gave the Marlins a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run into left field.

VWC outhit Shenandoah 6-2 in the opener, led by Higginbotham with two hits.  Sophomore All-American Kristina Karagiorgis (Ashburn/Briar Woods) improved to 7-2 in the pitching circle, striking out a pair of batters, walking one and allowing just two hits.

Stephanie Cameron (Ocala, Fla./Santa Fe) dropped to 10-3 for Shenandoah after allowing five hits, a walk and five earned runs.  She struck out five batters.  Morgan Coble (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) and Emily Wilson (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) had a single each for the Hornets.

Shenandoah used back-to-back doubles by Kimberly Brady (Gainesville, Va./Battlefield) and Lauren McCabe (Bluemont, Va./Clarke County), both with two outs, to help score two runs in the top of the fourth inning to give the Hornets a 3-1 lead in the second game.

It didn't last long though, as Virginia Wesleyan came back in the bottom of the inning to post a pair of runs to tie the game. The Marlins belted three hits in the inning, including a double by rookie Kayla Dost (Bristow/Nokesville Brentsville) and a two-run single by Inzana.

The Marlins took the lead with a two-run fifth that included back-to-back doubles by Dost and rookie Taylor Galvin (Virginia Beach/Kempsville) and an RBI-single by Higginbotham.  VWC pulled away with a three-run sixth that started with an Inzana double. Junior Andrea Shannon (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) belted a two-run double to right center in the inning.

Dost belted two doubles and a single to lead the Marlins, who outhit the Hornets 11-5. Higginbotham, Inzana and Shannon all had two hits each.

Junior Mackenzie Creech (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) recorded the pitching win and improved to 8-2 overall.  She struck out five batters in six innings and gave up five hits, two walks and three earned runs.  Rookie Mary Shipp (Virginia Beach/First Colonial) pitched the final inning and put away the only three batters she faced.

Shenandoah used three pitchers, starting with Megan Tripp (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover).  She worked four innings and Amanda Litwin (Front Royal, Va./Skyline) and Jordan Wolford (Bluemont, Va./Clarke) pitched an inning each.  Brady topped SU hitting with two doubles and a single.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Sunday, March 24, in another ODAC doubleheader, hosting the Wasps of Emory & Henry College in a twinbill beginning at 10 a.m.

--AMDG--