For Immediate Release – 4/17/16 - #316
WildCats Earn Key ODAC Sweep

BRIDGEWATER, VA – The Randolph College softball team earned a very important sweep of Bridgewater College on Sunday.  The WildCats moved into seventh place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) after winning the two games 3-2 and 4-0.

Both games featured phenomenal pitching, as Lindsey Chaney countered Briana Cox in game one.  Neither team could get anything going over the first two innings, as there were three total strikeouts, two by Chaney. 

The third frame, however, saw the WildCats breakthrough for the first of the game.  Brittany Campbell led off with a single, and stole second.  Erin Wehrhan bunted her over to third.  Jessica Nowak stepped up to the plate and used a clutch piece of hitting, knocking in Campbell with a single.  The bases were loaded shortly after but Cox got out of the jam.  The following frame was tough for Chaney, but she too got out of the situation, with no damage. 

The next two and a half innings saw zeros on the scoreboard.  While several runners reached, the pitchers allowed no runners to cross the plate.  The 'Cats threatened in the sixth, getting the first two runners on.  However, the next three batters went down by way of the 'K'.

The Eagles finally got on the board in the sixth inning.  After Chaney struck out the first batter, the next two reached on singles.  The team continued its rally and scored two runs to take the lead.  However, Randolph would not go away quietly.

Nowak led off the seventh with a double to left center.  Hunter Glavé advanced her over with a groundout.  Rebecca Montgomery kept things going with her own double, to right center, and it scored Nowak.  Montgomery then stole third and Dianne Davis knocked her in with a sac fly, giving Randolph the 3-2 lead.  Gracyn Allen-Ingle (7-4), who came in for Chaney in the sixth, finished off the game with three straight outs to get the win.

Game two saw stout pitching as well, with Allen-Ingle getting the start in the circle for the WildCats, and Hannah Trala featuring for BC.  The two throwers kept both teams off the board for the first four innings.

Allen-Ingle gave up only three hits during that time, while striking out two.  Trala was just as affective.  The 'Cats had two runners on in the first and the fourth, but neither time could get past the pitching.  However, things changed in the fifth inning.

Wehrhan got on base thanks to a base on balls with one out.  The walk chased Trala, but the new pitcher would not continue the success.  Nowak singled through the left side to put two on.  Glavé hit a ball to the second baseman, but reached on the error.  It allowed Wehrhan to score.  After both advanced thanks to a fly out by Montgomery, Davis knocked them both in with a single, bringing the lead to 3-0.

The WildCats added to their total in the sixth as Campbell led off with a single.  After advancing on a groundout, Ashley Dudding hit a pinch-hit single to drive her in for the insurance run, unneeded as it may be.

It was not needed because Allen-Ingle continued her stellar form.  She allowed only one runner an inning, and none of them made it to second base, sealing the 'Cats 4-0 win and sweep.

Nowak finished the twin bill with four hits and an RBI, while Davis added two Runs Batted In.  Allen-Ingle gave up only six hits in eight and two-thirds innings pitched over the two games.

Lindsey Talley had the two RBI on the day for the Eagles (7-27 overall, 2-14 ODAC).

Randolph (19-15, 6-10) will play its last nonconference doubleheader of the season on Wednesday.  The WildCats travel to Ferrum College (22-16), with game one beginning at 5 p.m.

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