LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College softball team built big leads in both ends of a non-conference doubleheader with Meredith College and in both games staved off the Avenging Angels in earning a doubleheader sweep Saturday with scores of 7-6 and 5-4.
In the opening game, Randolph (2-0) fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first after a homer by Amanda Beirne. The WildCats responded with two runs in the second, as Gina Pagano (Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley) doubled in a pair. Up a run, Randolph cushioned its lead with four in the third, highlighted by a three-run jack from junior Ashley Gardner (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge).
The WildCats added another run in the fifth to make the score 7-1, but Meredith (0-4) would not go away. The visitors got a pinch-hit three-run homer from Lorri Cole in the sixth to pull to within three. In the seventh, Meredith added two more runs but sophomore Logan Carter (Richmond, VA/Midlothian) got out of the jam to secure the win.
Junior Lauren Stevenson (Virginia Beach, VA/Tallwood) was two-for-three with two stolen bases in the first game, while Gardner finished with two hits, three RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Kristen Hutchinson (Rockville, MD/Richard Montgomery) tossed five innings of four hit, one run ball, striking out two in earning the win.
In the second contest of the day, Meredith hopped out to a 2-1 lead after an inning and a half. The WildCats would score four in the third stanza, with the big blow coming from first-year first baseman Chassity Ferry (Melfa, VA/Nandua). With runners on first and second and down in the count, she drove a two-run double to right center to put Randolph up three.
Meredith trimmed the WildCat advantage to one with a pair of runs in the sixth inning, but Hutchinson came into the game in the seventh and earned her first save of the season to secure the win for Randolph. Stevenson added another two hit, two run performance for Randolph, while Brittney Via (Charlottesville, VA/Monticello) had two hits and two RBI.
Ferry finished with two hits in game two for the WildCats, which won their first two games of the season for the fourth time in the last five years. First-year Jessica Sanabria (Burgaw, NC/Pender) earned her first collegiate win, going four innings while allowing only one earned run.
Amanda White had three hits and two RBI in game two for the Avenging Angels, adding a pair of knocks in the first game as well. Beirne posted two hits in the first game, including her solo homer.
Randolph is back in action on Wednesday afternoon as it travels to Danville, VA to take on Averett University at 1 p.m. in more non-conference play.