College Softball Finals—#23 Roanoke 9–10, Guilford 4–9

SALEM, Va.—Guilford College fell in two games at Roanoke College Wednesday Night, dropping the first game 9-4. The Quakers battled back from a four run deficit late in game two, but fell 10-9 off a walk-off solo home run from Roanoke’s Morgan Wood. The Maroons are ranked 23rd in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Poll.

The Quakers (9-3, 0-2 ODAC) jumped on the Maroons (11-3, 2-0 ODAC) in the top of the first inning when Brittany Donathan (Archdale, N.C./Trinity) doubled to left center field, driving in two runs. Rachel Howard followed up with a RBI single to center field to gain an early 3-0 advantage. After Roanoke took at 5-3 lead in the second inning, Casey Snead (Ellerbe, N.C./Richmond Senior) blasted a solo home run in the top of the third to cut the deficit in half. The Maroons countered with one run every inning from the third inning onward to secure the game one win.

Alea Bier, Stephanie Clark, and Rhea Schleicher all drove in two RBI a piece for the Maroons. Kelly Higbie (5-2) struck out two batters in a complete game effort for Roanoke.

Maggie Shaffer (1-2) struck out four batters in four innings. Morgan Myers relieved Shaffer in the fifth, striking out three batters in two innings of work.

Both teams traded the lead seven times throughout game two. Hayes put the Quakers on the board in the third inning with a single, tying the game at 1-1. After Roanoke scored four in the bottom of the fourth, Guilford took advantage of two Roanoke errors in the fifth when Calli Pastor reached base on a misplayed pop fly to center field. The Quakers erased the Maroons’ lead and tied the game in the top of the sixth when Autumn Yoder doubled to drive in two runs. Guilford countered Roanoke’s four sixth-inning runs with four runs of their own in the top of the seventh. Yoder began the Quakers’ rally and picked up her third RBI of the day on a single to left center. After Emily VanHaneghan singled to load the bases, Cynthia Hayes hit a bases-clearing double to tie the game, capping her four-for-eight evening at the plate with four RBI and two stolen bases. Wood then closed out the game for the Maroons with a solo home run, giving Roanoke the win.

Pastor (2-1) struck out six batters in a complete-game, six inning effort. Roanoke’s Stephanie Clark took the complete-game win, striking out four.

The Quakers return home to Haworth Field Saturday, facing Virginia Wesleyan College at 1 p.m.