Seniors Carry Marlins to Victory over Quakers on Senior Day

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The senior class of the No. 4-ranked Virginia Wesleyan College softball team carried the Marlins to victory over Guilford College Sunday, with some help from several key underclassmen.

Seniors Courtney Bogan, Kayla Malkos, Kayla Dost, Taylor Galvin, Brittney Jackson, and Mary Shipp were recognized in pregame festivities.

The Marlins had a streak of 25 2/3 scoreless innings in the circle end in game two. The Marlins have allowed just three runs in the last 10 games.

Game 1: 10-0 Virginia Wesleyan Victory (5 innings)

The Marlins took advantage of eight Guilford walks to score 10 runs in the first game of Sunday's conference doubleheader despite collecting just five hits.

Bogan, Dost, and Kiersten Richardson each scored a pair of runs. Bogan and Dost also walked twice, as did Jackson who scored a run and posted an RBI in her first start of the season.

Already leading 8-0, Richardson connected for her first career homerun, a deep shot that sailed over the left field wall to score Dost for the ultimate 10-0 outcome.

Shipp (15-4) earned the win after allowing just two hits in five innings while striking out five.

Richardson finished game one with a 3-for-3 day with three RBI and two runs scored. Malkos made a pinch hit appearance, her first time in a game for the Marlins since suffering a season-ending injury earlier this season.

Game 2: 7-3 Virginia Wesleyan Victory

The Marlins in similar fashion to the start of previous games as Bogan singled to the pitcher and stole second and third before coming home on a Liz Bailey single to right field.

Cassetty Howerin singled to right to move Bailey to second base, but Quaker pitcher Courtney Lackey sat down the next three Marlins to limit the damage to one run.

Guilford tied up the contest in the second inning as Shelby Helms drove a ball deep over the center field wall off Kandis Kresinske. The long drive ended the Marlins consecutive scoreless inning streak as well as ending Kresinske's streak at 23 innings.

Virginia Wesleyan provided Kresinske with a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the third with the help of several Guilford errors.

Howerin led off the frame with a single. Blake Henderson tried to advance her to second on a sacrifice but reached first as the throw from third base was high. Dost got the sacrifice down, putting a pair in scoring position for Galvin. The senior catcher sent a ball down the left field line that was caught for the second out, but allowed Howerin to come home. The throw to the plate skipped up the first base line, allowing Henderson to score as she raced around third for the 3-1 lead.

Guilford rallied to tie the contest in the fifth doing all of its damage with two outs. Courtney Lackey singled scoring on Makayla Carver's double to right center. The Marlins tried to get Lackey at the plate, but the ball skipped away, sending Carver to third. A wild pitch allowed Carver to come home to tie the game.

The Marlins took the lead for the final time in the bottom of the sixth with four runs after Richardson and Beth Ford singled on the infield. A sacrifice moved them up for Bailey, who laced a ball to shortstop for a run-scoring single. Howerin followed with a double in the right-center gap to plate Bailey and Ford for a 6-3 margin. A Dost sacrifice squeeze provided the final run.

Kresinske (16-1) went the distance, surrendering three runs, two earned, on six hits without issuing a walk and striking out eight.

No. 4 Virginia Wesleyan (32-5/15-1) travels to Roanoke College Saturday for a 1 p.m. ODAC doubleheader to conclude the regular season.