HARRISONBURG, Va.- The Randolph softball team traveled to Eastern Mennonite on Sunday to begin Old Dominion Athletic Conference play. The WildCats rallied to defeat EMU 10-9 in the first game and needed extra innings to outlast the Royals 10-7 in 11 innings in the second game.

Randolph's overall record improves to 14-8 overall while the Royals drop to 6-7-1.

Jenna McDermott (Townsend, Del./Middletown) got it started for the WildCats in Game 1 with a three-run homer to give Randolph a 3-0 lead in the first inning. In the Royals second, EMU scored six times to take a 6-3 lead.

The WildCats got one run back in the third as Lacey Lucado (Buchanan, Va./James River) scored on a throwing error by the Royals right fielder. A two-run homerun by Eastern Mennonite's Grace Fravel in the fifth inning staked the home team to an 8-4 advantage.

Randolph started its comeback in the sixth inning. Kylie Stark (Lynchburg, Va./Brookville) singled to lead off. Brooke Rolocut (King George, Va./King George) flied out. Lexi Hawkins (Lynchburg, Va./Liberty Christian) walked to move Stark to second base. Dominique Irving (Amherst, Va./Amherst County) reached on a fielding error by the EMU left fielder to load the bases. Lucado's sacrifice fly plated one run and moved the other runner up one base. Delaney Nuckols' (Rockville, Va./Patrick Henry) fielder choice's scored another run. Nuckols stole second base. Emily Morris (Esmont, Va./Monticello) bunted to score Irving and the game was now 8-7.

The Royals went down in order in their half of the sixth inning. In the WildCat seventh, Stark led off with a homerun to left field to knot the game at 8-8. A few batters later, Lucado's sac bunt scored a run and then a Nuckols triple scored another as Randolph went up 10-8.

Eastern Mennonite scored once on a Madi Armentrout solo homer in the bottom of the seventh. That was all EMU could do as the WildCats held on for the victory.

Olesia Walch (Raleigh, N.C./St. Thomas More Academy) started in the circle for the WildCats. She pitched 4 1/3 innings allowing eight runs on six hits. She walked one and struck out one. Jenna St. John (Concord, Va./Appomattox) got the win as she pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief allowing just one run on three hits. She tallied one strikeout.

Stark finished 3-for-4 with a homerun, a double, two runs scored, and a RBI. McDermott was 2-for-3 with a homer, a run scored, and three RBI. Lucado went 1-for-1 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI. Nuckols batted 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBI. Irving was 1-for-4 with three runs scored.

In the second game, Randolph led 4-0 after the fifth inning. EMU scored twice in the fifth inning to cut the score to 4-2. In the bottom of the seventh, the Royals scored twice to force extra innings.

Both teams would score one run each in the eighth, ninth, and 10^th innings. In the Randolph 11^th inning and Lucado placed on second base, Nuckols singled to move her to third base. Nuckols stole second base to move into scoring position. McDermott reached on a fielding error by the EMU third baseman and advanced to second which allowed Lucado to score. Stark grounded out to score Nuckols. Hawkins singled down the right field line to move McDermott to third base. Kieran Wrighter (Glen Allen, Va.) lined out to centerfield and Hawkins was tagged out to complete the double play but McDermott already crossed home plate to put the WildCats ahead 10-7. Armentrout popped into a double play and Stark got an unassisted tag at first base to end the game in the EMU 11^th.

Paige Scruggs (Cowpens, S.C./Chesnee) started in the circle for Randolph. She surrendered three hits in three innings, walked two, and struck out one batter. Morris allowed four runs (two earned) in three innings, walking three, and striking out three. St. John came in for an inning and gave up an unearned run on one hit walking one. Walch secured the victory in four innings of work. She gave up two unearned runs on three hits and struck out two Royals.

Nuckols batted 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, two RBI, and she swiped two bags. McDermott, Hawkins, and Charlize Taylor (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) all had two hits apiece. Taylor knocked in a pair of runs.

Randolph returns to the field on Saturday as it hosts Bridgewater. Game 1 of the doubleheader begins at 2:00 p.m.