SALEM, Va. -- One of the oldest records in the Virginia Wesleyan College softball annals was knocked out of the park Friday as the Marlins knocked out 21 hits to sweep a pair of games in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship tournament.

The top-seeded Marlins connected for 10 hits in opening the tourney with an 8-4 victory over eighth-seeded Eastern Mennonite University and followed several hours later with 11 hits in a 6-3 triumph over fourth-seeded Randolph-Macon College. Both games were played at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex in Salem.

VWC's hitting effort increased its season total of hits to 415, breaking the 26-year-old record of 397 hits set in 1987 and tied in 1988.  The Marlins' hit total on the first day of the tournament included a home run by junior Tori Higginbotham (Glen Allen/J.R. Tucker), increasing the program record to 31.  It was the 13th home run of the season for Higginbotham, who tied the VWC single-season record set by Kelly Lupton in 2000.

Virginia Wesleyan, ranked 17th nationally, improved its record to 36-6, the second highest victory total in program history and only three shy of the record of 39 set in 1986.  The Marlins attempt to add to their totals on Saturday, April 27, when they take on Lynchburg College's Hornets (32-9), seeded No. 2 and ranked 19th nationally, at 2 p.m.

While the consistent hitting was a highlight of the victories, so was the pitching of rookie Mary Shipp (Virginia Beach/First Colonial) and junior Mackenzie Creech (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange).  Shipp, a former Beach District Pitcher of the Year, stepped up big in the win over EMU.  After Creech got off to a rocky start against the Royals, Shipp entered the game in the second inning and helped to pull out the win.  She struck out three batters, walked two and gave up four hits and two earned runs as she picked up her first victory of the season.

Creech came back later to pitch against R-MC to improve to 19-3 on the season, a career-best.  She struck out five Yellow Jackets, walked one and gave up six hits and three earned runs in five innings.  Shipp entered to pitch the final two innings and earned her first save of the season after striking out two batters, walking one and allowing one hit.

VWC wiped out a 2-0 deficit against EMU with three runs over the third and fourth innings, and broke the game open with a five-run fifth. The Marlins batted around in the inning, which started with a Higginbotham single. Kristina Karagiorgis (Ashburn/Briar Woods) and Courtney Bogan (Round Hill/Woodgrove) added RBI singles, Kayla Dost (Bristow/Nokesville Brentsville) belted a two-run single, and Lindsey Inzana (Chesapeake/Grassfield),  Taylor Galvin (Virginia Beach/Kempsville) and Andrea Shannon (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) connected for a single each.

Dost finished the game with two hits and three RBI, followed by Higginbotham with two hits and one run-batted-in.  Courtney Allman (Mt. Solon/Fort Defiance) led EMU with three hits and four RBI.

Virginia Wesleyan never trailed in the victory over Randolph-Macon, taking a 2-0 lead in the third inning and extending it to 3-0 in the top of the fifth.  The Marlins added three more runs in the top of the sixth top open up a 6-0 advantage.

Bogan opened the inning with a single and stole second base.  She moved to third when Dost doubled to right.  Both Marlins scored when Higginbotham launched a home run to left field.

R-MC produced a final rally however, as the Jackets cut into the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Sharese Jarvis (Cobbs Creek/Matthews) and Madison Gillman (Glen Allen/Patrick Henry) both singled ahead of Katie Woody (Ashland/Patrick Henry), who ripped a three-run home run to put her team on the scoreboard.  That's where it ended however, as Shipp drew three grounders from the Jackets in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game.

Higginbotham, Karagiorgis and Inzana all had two hits each for the Marlins.  Galvin and Dost both connected for doubles.  Amber Sopko (Skippers/Greenville) led R-MC with two hits.

--AMDG--