For Immediate Release – 4/3/16 - #289
Great Pitching Showcased During DH, but Yellow Jackets Sweep WildCats

LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College softball team hosted Randolph-Macon College in a doubleheader on Sunday.  The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) twin bill was highlighted by pitching on both sides, but the visitors earned the sweep, winning 4-0 and 3-0.

Gracyn Allen-Ingle and Candace Whittemore were on fire right from the start in game one.  Whittemore came into the game leading the ODAC in strikeouts, but Allen-Ingle looked more the part early on.  Allen-Ingle got out of a jam in the first by striking out all three.  She followed suit in the second, getting out of another jam, by fanning two.  Whittemore was just as effective, giving up only one runner as Hunter Glavé had a single.

The Yellow Jackets broke the deadlock in the third.  With runners on first and third, Sierra Ford hit a grounder to Jessica Nowak.  The runner beat the throw, giving R-MC the 1-0 lead.

Once again, the pitchers took over.  The bottom of the third and top of the fourth saw each team go down 1-2-3, with Allen-Ingle striking out two more.  Randolph threatened during the bottom of the fourth, after a long double by Rebecca Montgomery, but the 'Cats could not capitalize.  Allen-Ingle had a similar situation in the fifth, but she ended the inning with no damage after a strikeout.

The WildCats then had their best chance in the bottom half.  Alexis Steljes was hit by a pitch, while Erin Wehrhan singled.  Lauren Morris was walked, loading the bases with one out.  But Whittemore once again got out of the trouble.

Both Allen-Ingle (4-4) and Whittemore (12-2) continued their dominance in the opposing circles.  However, Randolph-Macon added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.  Ford hit a two-run homer to seal the 4-0 victory.

Hannah Winfree and Nelda Bagley started in the circle for game two, and both were dealing right from the start.  Winfree gave up a leadoff single, but she worked around the hit, giving up none, while striking one out.  Bagley walked a runner, but fanned all three outs to give up no damage as well.

The next two innings saw more of the same.  Winfree (3-5) faced only seven batters between the two frames, but allowed no ball to leave the infield.  Bagley saw two runners reach through errors and gave up a single, but the defense helped out with a double play and the catcher caught a runner stealing.

The fourth was when the Yellow Jackets came alive, as the first two runners reached.  During the third at-bat, a pitch bounced in the dirt and went in the visitor's dugout, scoring one runner.  Hurley Jones then doubled in Ford with a long ball to the right field fence.  Lindsey Chaney replaced Winfree and got two outs quickly.  However, Jones advanced to third and scored after knocking the ball out of Montgomery's hand to put R-MC up 3-0.

Chaney and Bagley continued to pitch well over the next three innings, but the WildCats would make one more comeback attempt.  In the bottom of the seventh, Lauren Morris led off with a pinch-hit single.   Glavé stepped up and hit a rocket that bounced off the right field fence.  However, Bagley got the next three batters out to avert any trouble, and end the game.

Wehrhan finished the day with four hits, while Glavé had two.  Allen-Ingle fanned nine batters in her seven innings.  Bagley (9-4) had seven strikeouts in the game two victory for the Yellow Jackets (22-6, 5-1).

Randolph (14-14, 3-9) will head on the road for its next two doubleheaders.  The first comes this Wednesday in a nonconference matchup.  The WildCats head to Mary Baldwin College, with game one beginning at 3 p.m.

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