SALEM, Va. -- A rain delay of several hours only seemed to recharge the Virginia Wesleyan College softball team Friday in the first game of the 2014 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship tournament at the Moyer Complex.

The top-seeded Marlins returned to bat in the bottom of the fourth inning with a 6-2 lead and moved toward putting the game away with a four-run inning against the Eagles of Bridgewater College.  VWC gave up a single to the Eagles in the top of the fifth, but retired the other three batters to end the game with a 10-2 victory in five innngs.

Virginia Wesleyan (34-5), ranked No. 11 nationally, will play again on Saturday, April 26, at 1 p.m. against the Yellow Jackets of Randolph-Macon College.  The Jackets (23-10) advanced with a 9-7 win over Eastern Mennonite University in eight innings. VWC swept R-MC in Ashland during the regular season.  Bridgewater (20-18-1) will play in an elimination game on Saturday at 11 a.m. against EMU (17-17-1).

Senior All-American Tori Higginbotham (Glen Allen/J.R. Tucker)got the Marlins restarted on Friday when she singled and advanced to second base on a Bridgewater error. Kayla Malkos (Roanoke/Cave Spring)reached base on another BC error, which allowed Higginbotham to score to increase VWC's lead to 7-2. 

After sophomore Kayla Dost (Bristow/Nokesville Brentsville) took a base after being hit by a pitch and senior Lindsey Inzana (Chesapeake/Grassfield) boarded via a fielder's choice, sophomores Taylor Galvin (Virginia Beach/Kempsville) and Mary Shipp (Virginia Beach/First Colonial) blasted back-to-back doubles to send in three more runs to open up a 10-2 lead.

Bridgewater had one more time at bat in the top of fifth inning, but could not find the offense to extend the game.

Junior All-American Kristina Karagiorgis (Ashburn/Briar Woods)pitched the first three innings for the Marlins and recorded a career-high 19th victory in 23 starts.  She struck out four, walked one, while keeping the Eagles hitless.  Shipp came in to pitch the final two innings and gave up three hits and two runs.

Briana Cox (Bumpass/Louisa) started in the circle for the Eagles and took the loss, falling to 12-8.  She struck out one, walked two, and gave up four hits and four unearned runs in two innings.  Haley Harris (Glen Allen/J.R. Tucker) threw in the final two innings, allowing four hits and six runs.

Senior Season Dailey (Norfolk/Virginia Beach Frank W. Cox) and sophomore Courtney Bogan (Round Hill/Woodgrove)topped VWC hitting with a triple each. Higginbotham added a pair of singles for the Marlins, who recorded five stolen bases.

Samantha Fridley (Covington/Alleghany) led Bridgewater hitting with a double.

--AMDG--