VIRGINIA BEACH -- A three-run inning in both the first and second game of Saturday's Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) softball doubleheader helped to carry the Virginia Wesleyan College Marlins to a sweep of the Eastern Mennonite University Royals at Marlins Field.

An overflow crowd assembled for Strike Out Cancer Day saw the Marlins use the big innings to post a 4-0 victory in the opener and an 8-1 triumph in the second contest. Virginia Wesleyan, which received votes for the most recent national Top 25 poll, improved to 29-6 overall and to 13-2 in the ODAC, while EMU dropped to 16-14 overall and to 5-9 in the league.

Virginia Wesleyan ended a scoreless start to the first game in the bottom of the third inning with its first three-run surge.  Junior Andrea Shannon (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) started the inning with a single and the Marlins added three more singles after that, including a two-run shot to the right side by junior Lindsay Inzana (Chesapeake/Grassfield).  Junior Season Dailey (Norfolk/Frank W. Cox) also produced an RBI single.

EMU threatened in the top of the fourth and sixth with bases loaded in both innings, but the VWC defense and pitching of junior Mackenzie Creech (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) helped keep the Royals stuck on the bags.

Virginia Wesleyan tacked on a padding run in the bottom of the sixth when rookie Kayla Malkos (Roanoke/Cave Spring) singled and scored on a single by junior Tori Higginbotham (Glen Allen/J.R. Tucker).

Creech improved to 14-3 in the pitching circle, striking out four batters, walking two, and allowing eight hits in the shutout.  VWC outhit EMU 9-8, led by Higginbotham with a 3-for-4 showing.  Dailey added two hits.

Kaitlyn Morris pitched the distance for EMU, striking out three and allowing nine hits.  Brooke Sigrist (Crimora/Fort Defiance) and Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes/Fort Defiance) both connected for two hits for the Royals.

Virginia Wesleyan took control earlier in the second game, posting three runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Higginbotham led off and cranked out a double.  She scored when junior Kelly Keys (Manassas/Osbourn Park) followed her with another double.  Rookie Courtney Bogan (Round Hill/Woodgrove) also singled in the inning.

EMU cut the spread to 3-1 with a solo run in the top of the fourth inning, but Virginia Wesleyan made up the run, and added four more, with a five-run burst in the bottom of the fifth.  Inzana belted a two-run single to help the Marlins open up the 8-1 lead in the inning.

Virginia Wesleyan finished with an 8-5 advantage in hits, led by Shannon with a 3-for-3 showing and Bogan with two singles. 

Sophomore Kristina Karagiorgis (Ashburn/Briar Woods) pitched all seven innings for the Marlins and improved to 12-3 on the season.  She struck out one batter, walked four and gave up five hits and one earned run. 

Jordan Aylor (Madison/Madison County) started in the pitching circle for EMU and dropped to 7-3 after four innings of work.  She struck out two, walked two and allowed five hits and five earned runs.  Angelia Miller (Bridgewater/Turner Ashby) and Casey Racer (Madison/Madison County) recorded two hits each for EMU.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Sunday, April 14, hosting the Eagles of Bridgewater College in the annual Senior Day games at Marlins Field.  The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.

--AMDG--