College Softball Finals – Guilford 2–5, Emory & Henry 5–4

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College’s Jordan Starke connected on a two-out double in the bottom of the fifth inning of game two to help the Quakers salvage a split of Tuesday afternoon’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader with Emory & Henry College. The Wasps claimed game one, 5-2, but the Quakers came back from a 4-0 deficit to take the nightcap, 5-4.

After posting a run in the top of the third inning of game one, Emory & Henry’s Alex Thomas helped the Wasps (24-10, 10-6 ODAC) post a three-run rally in the fourth inning with a single to left field, bringing home two runs to spark the rally.

Game one starting pitcher Courtney Lackey provided Guilford’s (25-11, 10-6 ODAC) response in the bottom of the fourth inning with a single to left field, facing one out with runners on first and second base. After a Caley Hodge home run to center field posted the Wasps’ fifth run in the top of the sixth stanza, Lackey responded with her second RBI in the bottom half of the inning on her second single of the game. Lackey’s RBI came with no out after a long double from Anna Wolfe on at-bat earlier.

The Wasps stormed the first inning of game two with a four-run rally where two walks brought home two runs. Alex Thomas RBI-single started the rally with one out.

Guilford responded in the bottom of the third inning, erasing the Wasps lead in one inning. Starke led off the inning with a double to right-center field and Natalie Conrad drove her home with a RBI-triple to right-center field to start the rally. Anna Wolfe capped the rally with a single to left field after two fielding errors elongated the inning and drove in two runs.

With a runner at first and two outs, Starke connected on a double to the center-field fence for her third hit of the game to break a 4-4 tie. Makayla Carver allowed only one hit in the final two innings after the rally to hold to the lead to take a split.

Shelby Helms led the Quakers at the plate with a five-for-seven afternoon, including a three-for-three effort in game one. Starke hit three-for-three in game two with two doubles and one RBI while Lackey finished two-for-three in game one, representing two of three Quakers with multiple hits in game one.

Danielle Loving led Emory & Henry with a three-for-three effort in game one while Leah Elswick led game two with a two-for-three effort as the only Wasps bat in the nightcap with multiple hits.

Lackey (10-6) took the loss for the Quakers in game one with a six-inning effort where she struck out two. Carver (8-3) took the complete-game win in game two fanning five and walking six.

Emily Kendrick (13-6) took the game one win for the Wasps with a complete-game effort where she fanned two. She took the game two loss in a two-inning relief effort where she struck out two and walked one.

The Quakers go on the road for the final time in the regular season Saturday, traveling to Randolph College for a 3 p.m. ODAC doubleheader.