College Softball Finals – Guilford 3–8, Roanoke 1–3

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College’s Makayla Crawford hit the go-ahead home run in the sixth inning of game one while Makayla Carver notched four hits over two games with a complete-game victory in game two as the Quakers claimed a Wednesday afternoon Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader sweep. The Quakers took game one, 3-1, and the nightcap, 8-3.

Two early walks yielded a run for Roanoke in the top of the first inning of game one as Ruthie Williams brought home a run on a ground out with two outs after the Maroons moved runners around the bases.

The Quakers (21-6, 6-2 ODAC) produced a hit per inning from the second to the fourth frames on Roanoke (16-8, 5-3 ODAC) game one starting pitcher Teresa Wagner, but Wagner did not allow more than one base runner until the bottom of the fifth inning. At the bottom and top of the order, the Quakers produced two singles and moved base runners into scoring position with two outs in the fifth inning. Wagner escaped the inning as a strongly hit shot down the third-base line was caught to end the inning.

Anna Wolfe led off the bottom of the sixth frame with an error at second base, followed by a Shelby Helms single. The Quakers moved runners into scoring position with two outs as Crawford came into the game to pinch-hit. Crawford connected on a three-run home run to left field on the first pitch on her at-bat to claim the lead. Lackey (10-3) quickly sat down Roanoke, facing the minimum and collecting her second and final strike out in the inning as Guilford claimed the first contest.

Roanoke posted three runs on just two hits through two innings of game two thanks to a dropped fly and a wild pitch on a strike out.

Guilford erased the lead in the bottom of the third inning with a four-run rally where Carver helped her own cause by sparking the rally with a one-out double. Caroline Banette capped the rally with a one-out single to drive in the fourth run of the inning. The Quakers never looked back, posting a three-run rally in the next inning after Carver retired consecutive batters for two consecutive innings. Moreno bolstered the rally with a one-out single to left field. Shelby Helms posted a two-out RBI-double to right-center field to provide insurance as Guilford fought off a two-hit Roanoke rally in the seventh frame to secure the win.

Carver (5-2) finished four-for-seven with two RBI over the afternoon while claiming the complete-game victory in game two, walking only one batter.

Kayli Blankenship posted a three-for-three game-two effort with two stolen bases while Moreno posted two hits with two RBI over the afternoon. Through 26 games, Moreno has hit safely in 25 of 26 games. Barnette posted the remaining multiple-hit effort in game two, hitting two-for-four with one RBI.

Erin Forbes posted two RBI in game two for Roanoke while totaling two hits over the afternoon. Ruthie Williams also tallied two hits over the doubleheader while throwing three innings of relief, walking one.

Wagner (6-2) took the game one loss for Roanoke in a six and two-third inning effort where she fanned one batter.

Taylor Asimakopoulos (0-3) took the game-two loss for the Maroons, walking two and fanning one in two and two-third innings.

The Quakers take to the road tomorrow to finish up the second game of a March 1st doubleheader with Greensboro College that was suspended in the bottom of the second inning. While the doubleheader began at Guilford’s Haworth Field as a Greensboro home doubleheader, it will be finished at Latham Park in Greensboro as Greensboro home game.