For immediate release – 3/23/2016 - #263
WildCats Drop Doubleheader to LC

LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College softball team hosted Lynchburg College in both teams Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) opener on Wednesday.  The WildCats lost both games, falling 9-5 and 7-3 respectively.

Connor English was the story in game one.  She pitched very strongly for the visitors, giving up only one hit in her first five innings of work.  That hit came in the fifth inning as Dianne Davis hit a rocket to right center field. 

However, both teams switched pitchers in the sixth inning.  Lauren Morris came in for the WildCats and was stout.  She worked around two different errors, and struck out two.

Then in the bottom of the inning, the WildCats offense came alive against the Hornets relief.  Alexis Steljes got hit to lead off the inning.  Jessica Nowak knocked her over to second on a single.  After both were forced to second and third, Rebecca Montgomery crushed a double to score both runners.

The hits and runs kept coming in the inning.  Davis got on with a single and was pinch run for by Courtney Lucado.  Rachel Hickman hit a double that scored Montgomery.  Morris singled to score both Lucado and Hickman, bringing the 'Cats within two.

However, Lynchburg added two more runs in the top of the seventh.  Randolph threatened as Nowak doubled to lead off the bottom frame, but no further damage was done as the Hornets won game one.

English (4-3) once again took to the circle in game two, and had very good results.  She allowed only three hits in the first four innings.  Hunter Glavé and Hickman registered back-to-back singles in the second, and Davis added another knock in the fourth.  However, the defense behind her produced a double-play to keep the WildCats off the board.

Lindsey Chaney (5-2) took the circle for the 'Cats and was very strong early.  She allowed only one runner in the first two innings and struck out two.  However, the Hornets finally wore her down and scored multiple runs in the third and the fourth.  But Chaney came back in the fifth and once again sat the visitors down 1-2-3.

Randolph led off the bottom of the inning with two-straight singles.  Hickman and Brittany Campbell got on, but Lynchburg kept the hosts off the boards once again.

The Hornets traded runs with the WildCats in the next inning and a half.  LC tallied a run in the sixth, but the 'Cats answered.  After a leadoff groundout, Montgomery, Davis, and Glavé hit three-straight singles, with Montgomery crossing the plate on Glavé's knock.

Randolph responded to another run in the seventh.  Haley Brickles got the rally started with an infield single.  Erin Wehrhan reached on an error, and then Ki Jenkins knocked in Brickles on the next play.  Nowak then knocked in Wehrhan on a fly ball to centerfield.  Montgomery followed with a single, but the WildCats would not cross the plate again.

Davis finished the day with four hits, while Montgomery had three and an RBI.  Kayla St. John had five hits and five RBI for the Hornets (7-7 overall, 2-0 ODAC) over the twin bill.

Randolph (11-7, 0-2) will have a quick turnaround, with another doubleheader scheduled for Friday afternoon.  The WildCats travel to Emory & Henry College (7-11) to make up last Saturday's games, with the first pitch set for 1 p.m.

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