BUENA VISTA, Va. The Randolph softball team began its 2020 season at Southern Virginia on Wednesday afternoon. The WildCats swept the doubleheader with scores of 12-5 and 13-6.

In the opener, Randolph trailed 3-0 after the first inning and 5-0 after the second. The WildCats rallied in the top of the fourth. Alyssa Swords (Prince George, Va./Prince George) tripled to lead off. After Jhenai Sewer (Newport News. Va./Woodside) popped out, Briana Harbison (Dumfries, Va./Potomac) tripled to score Swords. Harbison then scored on a fielder's choice and it was 5-2 Knights.

In the WildCat fifth, Allie Jarrett's (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) single scored Delaney Nuckols (Rockville, Va./Patrick Henry). Swords then singled to bring home Jarrett. Sewer's single moved her to second and Swords to third on an error by the Southern Virginia third baseman. Harbison reached on a fielder's choice to score Swords. Tee Davis' (Chester, Va./Thomas Dale) single scored Sewer and Harbison scored as Railey Oetken (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek) reached on an error and suddenly the 'Cats were ahead 7-5.

Randolph would go on to score five times in the seventh inning. Sewer led off with her first collegiate home run. Nuckols had a two-run RBI double.

Danielle Shannon (Greensville, Va./Riverheads) got the start in the circle and pitched one inning. She gave up three runs on two hits. Braelyn Cooper (Amherst, Va./Amherst County) picked up the win in 5.2 innings. After surrendering two runs on two hits in her first inning of work, she settled in and only allowed one hit the rest of the way.

Nuckols was 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and two runs batted in. She also stole a pair of bases. Harbison went 3-fo-4 with a triple, three runs scored, and two runs batted in. She stole a base. Swords was 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored, and one run knocked in.   

In the second game, Randolph jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first sinning. The Knights got one back in their portion of the first and tied the game up with a three-run second inning.

The WIldCats went ahead 5-4 in the third inning. Swords led off with a triple and then scored on a passed ball. Southern Virginia answered with a run to once again tie the game up.

The 'Cats exploded for six runs in the fourth inning to leap ahead 11-5. Randolph tacked on another run in the seventh. The Knights led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple but only scored once as Randolph emerged victorious.

Abbi Pannill (Prince George, Va./Prince George) got the win as she went three innings and gave up four earned runs on two hits. She struck out five. Shannon pitched two innings of one-hit ball and tallied one strikeout. Lindsey Kirkland (Lynchburg, Va./Jefferson Forest) also pitched two innings and gave up one run on one hit while striking out one.

Nuckols was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Elyssa Francis (Newport News, Va./Woodside) batted 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a run batted in. She stole a base. Harbison was 1-for-2 with a run scored and batted in. She swiped two bags.

Randolph's home opener is this Saturday as the WildCats face Greensboro. Game time is at 12:00 p.m. with the second game following at 2:00 p.m.