College Softball Finals: Guilford 1 – 8, Shenandoah 5 – 9

WINCHESTER, Va.—Guilford College fell twice in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader to Shenandoah University Saturday afternoon. Shenandoah won the first game, 5-1, and claimed the nightcap, 9-8.

Shenandoah took an early lead in the first inning of game one when Erica Kondzielawa doubled down the left field line. Heather Sink would brink Kondzielawa home on the next at-bat with a triple to left center field to increase the Hornets’ lead, 3-0.

Guilford countered in the top of the third inning when Autumn Yoder hit a double to left center field to cut Shenandoah’s lead, 3-1.

Sink answered back in the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle, reclaiming a three-run lead on her second RBI of the game. Lauren McCabe would add an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in foul territory.

Magie Shaffer (5-5) took the complete game loss for the Quakers, striking out four batters. Stephanie Cameron (14-5) took the win for Shenandoah, throwing six and a third innings, striking out 11 while surrendering just one earned run on four hits. Amanda Litwin relieved Cameron in the seventh inning to preserve the lead.

The Hornets started the second inning of game two with a four-run rally thanks to RBI singles from Emily Wilson and Kimberly Brady. Megan Coble added a sacrifice fly. Shenandoah would add another four-run rally in the third inning when McCabe connected on a RBI double to left field, later scoring on a wild pitch. Brittany Guepe hit an infield single to drive in a run, later scoring on a passed ball, giving Shenandoah a 9-0 lead.

Marty Wilcox began the Quakers’ comeback in the fourth inning with a RBI single up the middle. Yoder would then hit a two-RBI triple into right center field and later scored on a ground out to cut the deficit, 9-4. The Quakers used another four-run rally in the sixth inning to close in on the Hornet lead. Emily VanHaneghan picked up her second RBI of the day on a ground out, setting up Laura Hall to single in one more run, cutting the Shenandoah lead to just three runs. Rachel Howard added another run with a RBI single up the middle with another run coming across home plate thanks to a Shenandoah error, putting the Quakers within one before Shenandoah retired the Quakers.

Casey Snead (3-2) took the loss for the Quakers, throwing the first two innings. Ashley Boteler relieved Snead and threw the final four innings, striking out four and giving up just one earned run. Megan Tripp (8-6) took the win throwing five and two thirds innings. Jordan Wolford relieved Tripp in the sixth and picked up the final four outs, giving up just one hit.

Guilford (18-18, 4-14 ODAC) returns to action tomorrow, facing Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Va. at 2:00 p.m.