GREENSBORO, N.C. – Second-ranked Virginia Wesleyan University used a pair of dominant pitching performances to sweep Sunday’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader at Guilford College. Two-time defending national player of the year Hanna Hull fanned 11 and yielded two hits in the Marlins’ 10-2 opening-game win. Carla Hill threw a five-inning no-hitter in Virginia Wesleyan’s 9-0 nightcap victory.
Virginia Wesleyan, ranked second in the current National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division III Poll, improved to 23-2 overall, 9-1 in the ODAC. Guilford suffered its first doubleheader sweep of the season and dropped to 17-5 overall (3-5 ODAC) overall.
Hull overcame a season-high six walks and improved to 16-1 on the season in game one. She entered the game having allowed just two earned runs in over 70 innings this year, but yielded two in the Sunday’s opener. Hull walked the bases loaded in the fifth inning and then yielded another free pass to Makayla Carver, which forced in the Quakers’ first run. Guilford’s Katie McNeill it a two-out, RBI single in the sixth that forced a seventh inning. Hull fanned 10 or batters for the ninth time this season and upped her season strikeout total to 170 in 87.2 innings.
Jessica Lindsay hit her team-leading fifth home run of the season and drove in three to lead the Marlins’ offense. Katelyn Biando also had two hits, including a double, and three RBI. Madison Glaubke and Julia Sinnett had two hits apiece as part of Virginia Wesleyan’s 13-hit showing.
Carver and McNeill both had one hit and an RBI for Guilford. McNeill threw a complete game and struck out three.
The Marlins batted around and jumped on Guilford with five first-inning runs and never looked back in the nightcap. Virginia Wesleyan had six of its 11 hits in the first inning off of Quakers’ starter Abigayle Rowell (5-3).
Hall took over from there as the sophomore allowed just two walks to improve to 7-1 on the year. She struck out one and had retired the side in order in three innings.
Sinnett hit her first home run of the season, a two-run shot to center in the second inning that opened a 7-0 margin. She and Biando both had two hits and two RBI. Glaubke was 2-for-3 with two steals.
Coach Dennis Shores’ Quakers visit the University of Lynchburg Wednesday. The Hornets were ranked sixth in the latest NFCA Poll.