The Virginia Wesleyan University softball team (43-0) used a decisive late-inning surge and another dominant outing in the circle to secure a 4-0 victory over Roanoke in the ODAC Semifinals, punching its ticket to the championship game.
Emma Adams pitched a gem in the circle, as she pitched 7.0 innings, allowed three hits, zero runs, and tallied three strikeouts.
Karley Beltran led the team as she went 3-for-3 and scored the first run of the game. Samantha Deitsch also went 3-for-3, she added a double and scored a run. Taylor Mcqueen went 1-for-3, with a double, and recorded two RBI.
Locked in a scoreless battle through four innings, the Marlins stayed patient at the plate while Emma Adams controlled the game from the circle. Adams was in command throughout, scattering just three hits across seven shutout innings while keeping Roanoke from ever finding a rhythm offensively.
The breakthrough finally came in the bottom of the fifth, sparked by aggressive baserunning and timely execution. Karley Beltran opened the inning with a single and quickly moved into scoring position, advancing on a wild pitch and then to third on a passed ball. With one out, Laci Campbell lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing Beltran home for the game's first run.
With the pressure mounting, the Marlins kept the inning alive. Samantha Deitsch lined a single into the outfield, and Morgan Tucker followed with another base hit to put two runners in scoring position. Taylor Mcqueen delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon, driving a double into left field that plated both runners and extended the lead to 3-0.
Virginia Wesleyan added an insurance run in the sixth with more situational hitting. Olivia Knight led off with a triple to center field, and Adams helped her own cause moments later, dropping down a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt that allowed Knight to score and push the advantage to four.
That was more than enough for Adams, who closed out the game with composure and efficiency. Backed by a flawless defensive effort, the Marlins never allowed Roanoke to threaten, sealing the shutout and continuing their perfect season.
