College Softball Finals – Guilford 9-3, Emory & Henry 1-5

EMORY, Va. – Jessica Burcham (Lexington, N.C./South Davidson) twirled a one-hitter and Sarah Cutright hit a three-run homer in Guilford’s 9-1 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) softball win at Emory & Henry College Wednesday. The Wasps gained a split of the doubleheader with a 5-3 triumph in the nightcap.

In the opener, Burcham (4-4) showed the dominance seen throughout her record-setting career. Guilford’s career wins and strikeouts leader faced just three batters over the minimum in a complete-game victory. She fanned seven and yielded only a third-inning homer to Cortney Halsey, but no walks. Cutright sparked the offense with a season-high three hits, including a three-run homer in the Quakers’ five-run seventh inning. Morgan Andrews’ two-run triple in the fifth broke a 1-1 tie and lifted Guilford (11-9, 1-3 ODAC) to victory.

The Wasps (11-9, 1-5 ODAC) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of game two on Ashley Ebersole’s fourth homer of the season. The hosts scored three more in the fourth inning, chasing Guilford starter Ashley Boteler (4-3). Wasps’ starter Katie Grimm worked around nine hits, a walk and five Emory & Henry errors to post her second win of the season. She threw 6.2 innings before Jennifer True picked up the final out for her first save. True ended Guilford’s three-run seventh inning by retiring Cutright with runners on the corners.

True helped the Wasps at the plate with three hits teammate and Jenae Morrissey added two hits and two RBI.

Cutright, Andrews and Kimberly Keys all had two hits for Guilford, which stranded nine runners in the game.

Guilford is back in action Saturday (3/31) at 1:00 p.m. against league-rival Eastern Mennonite University.