WildCat Softball Earns Doubleheader Split With Eastern Mennonite Wednesday

LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College softball team earned a victory in the opener of an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader against Eastern Mennonite University 5-4 Wednesday, but couldn’t bust through in game two falling 2-0.

In game one, the WildCats fell behind in the top of the third after the Royals (20-6/4-4 ODAC) posted two runs. Randolph answered with a five spot in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run single from Gina Pagano (Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley). On the play, Pagano advanced to second base on the throw home, and then came all the way around after a two-base error from EMU.

The Royals pulled to within one run in the sixth inning as Rasheeda Crews connected on a two-run homer. Randolph’s Logan Carter (Richmond, VA/Midlothian) knuckled down and got out of the inning, eventually earning her fourth save of the season. First-year Patti Vinson (Williamsburg, VA/Lafayette) had was three-for-three in game one, and sophomore Brittney Via (Charlottesville, VA/Monticello) went four innings, allowing two runs and five hits to earn the victory.

In the second game, Randolph couldn’t get anything going, being shutout for the first time all season. With the game scoreless in the top of the fifth, EMU center fielder Megan Viafora produced the game’s only runs with a two-run homer. That was enough for Molly Smith, who earned a complete game shutout, scattering five hits.

Junior Brittany Willingham (Glen Burnie, MD/Glen Burnie) had a base hit in each end of the doubleheader, upping her hit streak to 19 games, just two short of the Randolph College hit streak record. First-year Jess Sanabria (Burgaw, NC/Pender) tossed four and two-thirds innings in the second game for the WildCats, striking out five before Carter finished the game, as she allowed only the Viafora homer.

Randolph is off for seven days before hosting Randolph-Macon College April 12 at 3 p.m. in a make-up of a postponed doubleheader from earlier in the season.