VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – The Randolph College softball team led in both contests Friday but couldn't hold on as the WildCats dropped their first two games of the 2011 season. Randolph fell to Frostburg State University 8-5 before falling in the nightcap 9-5 to Washington College (MD).

In the opener, the WildCats (6-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Brittney Via (Charlottesville, VA/Monticello) doubled in Lauren Stevenson (Virginia Beach, VA/Tallwood) . Frostburg State University jumped out on top with two runs in the third, both coming as a result as an error.

FSU owned the middle innings, outscoring Randolph 6-0 to take an 8-1 lead going into the seventh inning. The WildCats would not go lightly, as Ashley Gardner (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge) singled in Stevenson, and senior G ina Pagano (Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley) blasted a three-run homer to pull Randolph within three. Randolph couldn't muster anything else, falling 8-5.

Pagano was two-for-four with three RBI, while Stevenson and Gardner each had two hits apiece. Logan Carter (Richmond, VA/Midlothian) went one and a third of scoreless relief. Caitlin Lovend was two-for three with five RBI for FSU, while Megan Foy had three hits for the Bobcats.

In the second contest of the game, Randolph scored three runs in the bottom in the first, highlighted by Pagano's second three-run blast of the day. The WildCats upped their lead to 5-1 in the third inning, as Brittany Willingham (Glen Burnie, MD/Glen Burnie) and Gardner had RBI base knocks.

That's when the Shorewomen would take control of the game, scoring eight runs in the next two frames to roll the victory. The WildCats made four errors in the second game, which led to three unearned runs. Randolph was paced by Willingham and Stevenson, each of whom posted a pair of hits in the loss.

Stevenson upped her hitting streak to eight to start the season, while Willingham has reached safely in each of her last seven games. Kristen Hutchinson (Rockville, MD/Richard Montgomery) lowered her earned run average to 0.37, having allowed only one run in her first 19 innings of work.

Randolph will take on Stevenson University and Salisburg University Saturday in more action from the VWC Beach Blast.

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