Softball to Play for ODAC Championship after Victory over EMU

SALEM, Va. -- The No. 1 seeded Virginia Wesleyan College softball team will play for the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship on Sunday after defeating No. 2 Eastern Mennonite University 6-2 on Saturday.

The Marlins jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning behind a Courtney Bogan walk and steal of second that jumpstarted the offense. Kiersten Richardson followed with a bunt single, stealing second herself to put the pair in scoring position. A walk to Cassetty Howerin loaded the bases for Kayla Dost.

Dost flew out to center to score Bogan before a Taylor Galvin double scored Richardson for the 2-0 edge. Another sacrifice fly, this time by Jessica Lindsay made it 3-0. An Essence Jackson RBI single made it 4-0.

The Marlins scored another pair of runs in the third on a throwing error by the catcher.

Eastern Mennonite scored a lone run in the third and fifth inning, but Kandis Kresinske entered in the sixth inning and shut down the Royals.

Carli Hill scored a pair of runs for Eastern Mennonite (30-13) while going 3-for-4 at the plate.

Mary Shipp (18-4) earned the win, striking out one in five innings while giving up just the two runs. Kresinske struck out two while giving up a lone hit in two innings.

Bogan and Richardson had two hits each for the Marlins, while Richardson and Howerin scored a pair of runs.

No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan will play No. 2 Eastern Mennonite Sunday for the ODAC title. EMU went on to defeat No. 4 Lynchburg to reach the championship game. Since VWC is coming out of the winners bracket, EMU would have to defeat the Marlins twice to claim the title.