SALEM, VA – The Randolph College softball finished its 2012 regular season Tuesday evening with a pair of losses to conference foe Roanoke College in action from the James Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia. Randolph dropped the first contest 6-4, before losing the nightcap 4-1.
In the first contest, Roanoke (25-9/13-5 ODAC) scored three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-0 lead. Randolph responded with a run of its own in the top of the third, as Lauren Stevenson (Virginia Beach, VA/Tallwood) scored first-year Jessica Sanbria (Burgaw, NC/Pender), who doubled to lead the inning off.
The Maroons answered with a run of their own to take a 4-1 lead going into the fourth. The WildCats pulled to within two in the top half of the fourth, as Sanabria singled in Brittney Via (Charlottesville, VA/Monticello). Randolph would eventually knot the score at four in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of three Roanoke errors.
Roanoke was quick to answer, as Kelly Higbie singled in a pair of runs for the eventual game-winning RBI. Junior Ashley Gardner (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge) was one-for-four with a run scored, while Sanabria finished two-for-three.
In game two, Randolph fell behind early as the Maroons scored twice in the bottom of the first. Randolph cut the lead in half in the top of the third, as junior Brittany Willingham (Glen Burnie, MD/Glen Burnie) connected on her first homer of the season. That was all the WildCats would get, as two pitched combined to hold Randolph to one run.
Sanabria was effective in the circle, going all six inning, allowing just two hits but surrendered seven free passes. Junior Samantha Thacker (Madison Heights, VA/Holy Cross) was the only other WildCat with an extra-base hit, doubling in the second inning.
Randolph will start the postseason Friday afternoon in Salem at the Moyer Complex in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament. Seedings, pairings and times of games will be announced Wednesday.