HARRISONBURG, Va. – Thanks to some timely hitting and clutch pitching, the Randolph College softball team posted a huge sweep of Eastern Mennonite University Tuesday in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) twin bill from Gehman Field. Randolph earned game one 6-2 before capturing game two 7-1.

                With the two victories, the WildCats upped their record to 23-11, which set the single season record at Randolph for wins. Randolph is now 6-8 in the conference, and is currently tied for sixth place with Shenandoah University. The double dip sweep of the Royals was the first ever for the WildCats, who have now won five of six against EMU.

                In game one, Randolph chalked up three runs in the top of the third to break the ice on the contest's scoring. In that inning, first-year Erin Wehrhan (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) singled and stole second base. With two outs, junior Brittney Via (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) delivered an RBI single to left to plate Wehrhan, and then scored herself on the next batter as Ashley Gardner (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) homered.

                Randolph upped its lead to 4-0 in the fifth inning, as Brittany Willingham (Glen Burnie, Md./Glen Burnie) doubled in first-year Ashton Ewers (Gladys, Va./William Campbell), who had singled earlier. EMU threatened in the fourth, but Logan Carter (Richmond, Va./Midlothian) struck out two batters with the bases loaded to get out of the jam.

                The WildCats extended their lead to six in the fifth inning, as sophomore Jess Sanabria (Burgaw, N.C./Pender) connected on a two-run shot, her third of the year. Eastern Mennonite scored twice in the fifth, but Carter held the Royals in check the rest of the way to earn the win. Willingham was two-for-three, while Ewers also had two hits in three at-bats. Carter went the distance, striking out five while allowing two earned runs. EMU stranded eight runners in game one.

                In the second contest, the visitors wasted no time jumping out in front, scoring two in the top of the first. Sanabria posted a RBI single in the frame, as did sophomore third baseman Patti Vinson (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette). The Royals would cut the Randolph lead in half in the bottom of the third thanks to a Brooke Hensley homer.

                Randolph came right back with a huge inning, plating five runs in the fourth to take control. Via connected on a two-run blast in the frame, Willingham had a two-run single and Vinson drove in a run as well. That was all that 'Cat starter Kristen Hutchinson (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery) would need, as she scattered 10 hits while allowing only one earned run.

                Willingham was two-for-four with two RBI, while Vinson was also two-for-four with two runs driven in. First-year catcher Hannah Cook (Yorktown, Va./Grafton) chalked up her fifth multi-hit game, Sanabria and Vinson each had two hits, and Via ended the contest with two RBI and two runs. Again the Royals struggled to hit with runners on base, stranding 12 runners including five innings with two or more left on.

                The WildCats will now look forward to Senior Day Saturday, as the No. 16-ranked Maroons of Roanoke College come to Lynchburg for a conference doubleheader at 1 p.m. on the Randolph Softball Field.

--RANDOLPH--