#11 Marlins Sweep ODAC-Opening Doubleheader with EMU

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The No. 11-ranked Virginia Wesleyan College softball team swept Eastern Mennonite University in a pair of games to open the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) slate Wednesday. The Marlins won game one 2-0 before a 9-0 decision in five innings in game two.

Game 1: 2-0 Virginia Wesleyan Victory

The Marlins got all the scoring they would need in the first inning with a pair of scores to go up 2-0 after one frame.

Courtney Bogan led off the inning with a hit by pitch before stealing second. One out later, Blake Henderson drove her home on a double to left field. Taylor Galvin contributed a double of her own a batter later as her line shot to left field scored Henderson for the 2-0 lead.

Mary Shipp allowed just one EMU runner to reach scoring position until the sixth inning when the Royals tried to make a charge.

Alexa Sheets and Tiffani Shaheen singled in the infield to lead off the inning, followed by a Danyele Smith hit by pitch to load the bases with no outs. Shipp got Angelia Miller to line out to third, Carli Hill to pop out to second, and Aislinn Lucas to fly out to right to escape the jam unscathed.

Sydney Reath had two hits for EMU while Lauren Seale surrendered two earned runs in six innings in the circle.

Shipp (8-3) allowed five hits and one walk in seven innings of work, striking out four. Henderson finished with a 2-for-3 showing, a run scored, and an RBI.

Game 2: 9-0 Virginia Wesleyan Victory (5 innings)

The Marlins took advantage of two big innings to defeat Eastern Mennonite 9-0 in game two. Virginia Wesleyan scored five in the second and four more runs in the fourth to put the game away.

Galvin reached on an error to start the second. Liz Bailey singled on a bunt, moving up to second on another EMU error. The Royals made three total errors in the contest.

Kiersten Richardson singled through the left side to score Galvin for the 1-0 lead. Bogan singled in Bailey before stealing second base yet again. Kayla Dost doubled on a line drive to left-center field, scoring Richardson and Bogan for a 4-0 lead. Henderson's RBI single scored Dost for a 5-0 margin.

Kandis Kresinske held Eastern Mennonite hitless until two outs in the fourth when Hill singled on a line drive to center field.

The Marlins led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple from Amy Large. She scored on an RBI single off the bat of Bogan for a 6-0 lead. RBI singles by Dost and Henderson made the score 8-0 before a double steal provided the final margin.

Henderson went 3-for-3 with a run and two RBI in game two while Bogan and Dost each scored two runs and drove in two RBI. Kresinske (6-1) allowed one hit in four innings while striking out three.

No. 11 Virginia Wesleyan (15-4/2-0) hosts Lynchburg College (7-7/2-0) for another ODAC doubleheader Saturday set to start at 2 p.m.