The Virginia Wesleyan University softball team (23-1-1, 10-0 ODAC) defeated Shenandoah winning 9-1 in game one, and 12-0 in game two.
Game One:
Morgan Tucker led the offense, going 1-for-2 with a double, and three RBI with one stolen base. Sarah Prosser was 1-for-1 and scored three runs with three stolen bases and teammate Mackenzie Myers went 1-for-3, scored one run, and had one RBI.
Lauren Bible registered her 14th win of the season; she pitched 4.0 innings, allowed two hits, one run, and struck out four.
The Hornets got on the board first in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Marlins came out strong on the bases. Sarah Prosser led off with a walk and quickly stole second and third, putting herself in scoring position. Laci Campbell followed with a walk, and she too stole second, giving the team two runners in scoring position. Mackenzie Myers stepped up to the plate and delivered with a single to left field, driving in Prosser for the first run of the game. Campbell advanced to third, but the score remained tied at 1-1 after the first inning.
The third inning saw another scoring surge for Virginia Wesleyan. Alexis Hudgens began the rally by walking and then stealing second. Prosser followed with a single to left field, advancing Hudgens to third. Prosser stole second shortly after, putting two runners in scoring position. Campbell then walked, loading the bases for the team. Myers reached on a fielder's choice, which resulted in Hudgens being thrown out at home. With the bases still loaded, Morgan Tucker came up clutch with a two-RBI double to center field, scoring Prosser and Campbell to give VWU a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Marlins continued to build on their lead. Julia Piotrowski led off with a walk and promptly stole second and third, setting the stage for another scoring opportunity. Joslyn Woodard then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, to bring Piotrowski home to make it 4-1. Mackenzie Swanson followed with a double to left field, and after a pitching change, Hudgens walked. Hudgens then stole second, and with the bases loaded, Prosser walked, bringing in another run. Campbell was hit by a pitch, driving in another run to give VWU a 5-1 lead. Myers reached first on a shortstop error, scoring two more runs, and Tucker walked to bring in another RBI. The scoring didn't stop there as Olivia Knight hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Myers. Tucker stole second, and Piotrowski walked again, setting up another opportunity to score. Finally, a passed ball allowed another run to score, to give the Marlins a dominant 9-1 lead.
Game Two:
Morgan Tucker led the offense as she was 2-for-2 at the plate, with a double, three RBI, and scored one run. Alexis Hudgens did well as she went 1-for-1, scored one run, and had three RBI. Sarah Prosser went 2-for-2, scored one run, and had two stolen bases.
Hannah Hearl recorded the win in the circle. She pitched 3.0 innings, allowed two hits, and struck out four. Abigail Jones saw action in the circle as she pitched 1.0 innings, allowed no hits or runs, and had two strikeouts, and Julia Piotrowski pitched 1.0 innings, allowed no hits or runs, and recorded two strikeouts.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Marlins came out strong with a series of aggressive plays. Sarah Prosser led off the inning with a single down the left field line but was caught stealing second. Mackenzie Myers then walked and stole second base before Laci Campbell also walked. Morgan Tucker followed with a single to left center, advancing to second on the throw and bringing Myers home for the first run of the game. Laci Campbell advanced to third on the throw, and then both Campbell and Tucker scored when Olivia Knight hit a single to right center, driving in two more runs. Knight advanced to second on a passed ball, and after Julia Piotrowski walked, Mackenzie Swanson struck out swinging. The inning saw a lot of action as Piotrowski and Knight advanced on wild pitches, and with Joslyn Woodard walking to load the bases, Knight scored on another wild pitch. A two-RBI single by Alexis Hudgens brought in both Piotrowski and Woodard, making the score 6-0. Hudgens stole second, and later scored on an error by the catcher, pushing the lead to 7-0. Prosser, back in the lineup, singled to center and stole second, then advanced to third and scored on another catcher's error. Myers walked, and Laci Campbell singled to move Myers to second. Morgan Tucker's double to right center brought in both Campbell and Myers, to build an impressive 10-run advantage.
The bottom of the second inning saw Virginia Wesleyan continue to build on their dominant performance. Mackenzie Swanson doubled to left center, followed by an error by the second baseman that allowed Joslyn Woodard to reach first and advance to second, while Swanson moved to third. A sacrifice fly from Alexis Hudgens brought Swanson home, adding another run to the scoreboard, 11-0. Riley Curtice, pinch-hitting for Prosser, then singled to right center, driving in Woodward for an unearned run. The inning ended with VWU holding a commanding 12-0 lead.
