VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia - The No. 4 Virginia Wesleyan softball team opened their 2021 home slate with a pair of wins against the Avenging Angels of Meredith College at Tom & Betty Broyles Field at TowneBank Park in Virginia Beach, VA. The Marlins move to 4-0 on the season while the Avenging Angels are now 0-2. 

GAME 1

INSIDE THE SCORE
Game one began with a scoreless top of the first for Meredith while the Marlins found the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning on a Danielle Stewart single through the right side that scored Jessica Goldyn from third to take a 1-0 lead.

Meredith recorded their lone run of the game in the second inning after a pair of runners reached base on balls. Savannah Talley came to the plate and singled to right field and advanced to second on the throw from right field to home plate in an attempt to tag out the scoring runner, Susanne Taylor. 

Despite leading off the bottom of the second with a double the Marlins were sent back to the dugout without scoring and went scoreless in the third as well while keeping Meredith off the board in the top halves of the third and fourth innings. VWU's bats woke up in the bottom of the fourth as Madison Glaubke led off with a double to center field. Daja Burgee followed with a two-run homer of the center field wall to give the Marlins a 3-1 lead. Later in the inning Maria Weddle came home to give Virginia Wesleyan a 4-1 lead after Brooke Anderson flew out to center field to score the RBI. 

The Avenging Angels went down in order in the top of the fifth and the Marlins went off in the bottom half scoring five runs to win the game by run rule 9-1. The inning began by Julia Sinnett reaching second base on an error by the shortstop and advance a base on the throw to tag her out at first. Katelyn Biando singled through the left side advancing Sinnett a base and on the next pitch, Biando stole second to put two runners in scoring position. A ground out by Madison Glaubke scored Sinnett for the fifth run of the game and Biando scored the following play on a single to center field by Burgee. 

Later in the fifth inning Goldyn hit a triple to center field scoring both Kayla Womack and Weddle to give VWU an 8-1 lead. Goldyn was scored on the next play after Anderson singled to right field giving the Marlins an eight run advantage, 9-1, and ending the game in five innings. 

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Marlins were led by Daja Burgee with one run on three hits in three at-bats and drove in three RBI, including the two-run homer over the center field wall. Jessica Goldyn's bat was hot too as she laid down two runs on two hits and scored two RBI in three at-bats. Hanna Hull (W: 2-0) picked up the win in the circle throwing five innings during which she struck out seven batters, walked three, while allowing one hit and one run.

MEREDITH LEADERS
The Avenging Angels were led by Savannah Talley with the lone hit that scored Susanne Taylor's run. Hannah Weigle (L: 0-1) picked up the loss in the circle allowing seven hits in three innings pitched. Brie Caldwell pitched the final 1.2 innings and gave up six runs on four hits and walked two batters. 

GAME 2

INSIDE THE SCORE
The Marlins kept the Avenging Angels off the scoreboard in the opening inning while posting four runs in the bottom half of the first. Goldyn led with a single and stole her way to third while Biando, who was hit by a pitch, stole second. Goldyn came home on a fly out by Danielle Stewart (RBI) and Biando followed on Julia Sinnett's (RBI) fly out. Madison Glaubke and Daja Burgee came home on a Brooke Anderson double giving VWU a 4-0 lead to end the inning. 

Both teams went scoreless through the second, third, and fourth, while Meredith went left two on base in the top of the fifth but couldn't score a run. In the bottom of the fifth, Burgee hit a single to left center field with bases loaded putting VWU up 5-0 as Ariana Rolle scored. A double by Kayla Womack scored Glaubke from second to put the final score on the board for VWU. 

Virginia Wesleyan held the Avenging Angels to just one hit in the top of the sixth and seventh innings en route to winning the game 6-0. 

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Marlins were led by Madison Glaubke with two runs on two hits in three at-bats. Brooke Anderson drove in two RBI on one hit in her three at-bats. Jessica Goldyn stole three of the Marlins five stolen bases. Emily Seale (W: 2-0) allowed three hits in five innings pitched while striking out three batters. 

MEREDITH LEADERS
Four Avenging Angels each recorded a hit in their three attempts at-bats. Sarah Gundlach (L: 0-1) pitched four innings giving up four runs on four hits. Danielle Hunt pitched two innings allowing VWU to score two runs on five hits.

UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action this Saturday, Feb. 27, when they return to Tom & Betty Broyles Field at TowneBank Park to host the Captains of Christopher Newport University for a double header. Game times are set for 1 and 3 PM and will be broadcasted for fans to follow along from home. Please note, no spectators are allowed to attend events at Virginia Wesleyan at this time.