April 21, 2006
EMU Goes 1-1 in First Day of ODAC Softball Tournament
Sophomore Natasha Viafora earned EMU's first win in tournament play since 1992 while adding a solo home run in the game. (Courtesy Wayne Gehman)
Sixth-seeded Eastern Mennonite University defeated third-seeded Virginia Wesleyan College for the second straight game 4-1 before falling to second-seeded Roanoke College 5-1 in the opening day of the 2006 Old Dominion Athletic Conference softball championship tournament on Friday night at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.
EMU (23-17) set a school record with its 23rd win of the season and snapped a 14-game losing skid in ODAC tournament play with the win over VWC (26-13). The two teams split a doubleheader earlier in the week on Tuesday.
Sophomore Natasha Viafora (Stanley, Va) earned the victory with one run allowed on two hits in four innings. Freshman Jamie Fraysher (Waterford, Va.) earned her first career save with three innings of scoreless relief. Senior Becky Sowell (Yorktown, Va.) took the loss after allowing four runs on 10 hits in seven innings.
Viafora and sophomore short stop Hayley Shepard (Grottoes, Va.) each hit solo home runs for EMU. Shepard was 2-for-4, as was sophomore center fielder Anna Coleman (Fairfield, Va.) and freshman first baseman Brooke McCormick (Buena Vista, Va.).
In the second game, Roanoke plated three runs in the third and shut down an EMU rally attempt in the fifth en route to a 5-1 victory. Junior Lyndsi Craig (Roanoke, Va.) earned the victory after limiting the Lady Royals to one run on three hits. Fraysher took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits in two and two-thirds innings.
Sophomore second baseman Tamara Poles (Manassas, Va.) was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored to lead the Maroons offensively. Sophomore left fielder Hillary Hudgins (Richmond, Va.) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two doubles in the lead-off spot. Sophomore third baseman Whitney Purvis (Prince George, Va.) was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
EMU will advance to meet fourth-seeded Lynchburg (27-14) at 12 noon on Saturday in an elimination game in the double-elimination tournament. The Hornets lost 2-1 in 11 innings to fifth-seeded Emory & Henry. The Marlins will face the loser between Emory & Henry and top-seeded Bridgewater at 12 noon, while the winner of the BC-EHC game will face Roanoke at 2:30 p.m.
EMU-VWC Box Score
EMU-RC Box Score
