LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College softball team got strong pitching all day and timely hitting in both games in earning a doubleheader sweep of Emory & Henry College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play Sunday afternoon. Randolph earned a 4-3 victory in game one before holding on in game two 3-2.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, Emory & Henry (8-16/1-7 ODAC) took the lead in the top of the third inning with three runs, two coming on a two-run double from Martha Fluharty. The WildCats (16-10/5-3 ODAC) responded with two in the bottom half to pull to within one at 3-2. Sophomore Kristen Hutchinson (Rockville, MD/Richard Montgomery) was dynamite out of the pen, allowing no runs on two hits over four innings to keep Randolph within one as she eventually earned the win.
In the bottom of the sixth, Randolph took its first lead of the contest, posting two runs after the first two batters were retired. Senior Gina Pagano (Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley) singled up the middle, and first-year Patti Vinson (Williamsburg, VA/Lafayette) followed with a double to put runners at second and third.
Up next came first-year Jess Sanabria (Burgaw, NC/Pender), who plated both runners with a two-run double, ripping a 0-1 pitch down the left field line for the game-winning runs. Sophomore Logan Carter (Richmond, VA/Midlothian) secured the game by earning the save. Vinson was three-for-three while Pagano finished two-for-three.
In the nightcap, the WildCats were the first to light the scoreboard, as junior Brittany Willingham (Glen Burnie, MD/Glen Burnie) singled in Amanda Thacker (Madison Heights, VA/Holy Cross) and Amber Brooks (Roanoke, VA/Hidden Valley). Randolph upped its lead to 3-0 in the fourth, as first-year Kaitlin Mills (Floyd, VA/Floyd Co.) scored on a wild pitch after tripling.
EHC didn’t go away, notching two runs in the fifth stanza, both coming on a Courney Perkinson two-run single. Carter relieved starter Brittney Via (Charlottesville, VA/Monticello) in the inning, and tossed three frames of scoreless relief to earn her second save of the day and give Randolph the afternoon sweep.
Willingham upped her hitting streak to 17 games with her RBI single in the third, and Vinson was spectacular at third base in game two, making all seven plays that came her way. Via got the victory in the circle, going four innings while surrendering two runs and three hits.
The WildCats will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. as they take on Eastern Mennonite University at home for Senior Day as the squad will honor Pagano as its lone senior.