The Eastern Mennonite University softball team was swept in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference double header by #20 Lynchburg College Sunday afternoon on Gehman Field. LC defeated the Royals 2-0 in the first game and went on to win the second game 10-6.

In game one, Hornets starting pitcher Ali Manns went seven innings, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out four to pick up the win. Lynchburg scored in the top half of the seventh inning for the games only runs. Danielle DiFranco and Brittany Allsop each singled before being driven in on an RBI single off the bat of catcher Kirstin Swank.

Allsop was 3-for-4 with a run scored for LC.

EMU third baseman Miranda White (Verona, Va.) had a double off the centerfield wall in the bottom of the inning before Manns closed out the 2-0 win.

Lady Royals starting pitcher Natasha Viafora (Stanley, Va.) picked up the tough luck loss, tossing seven innings while allowing only two runs on six hits.

In the second game EMU jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single from White scoring shortstop Hayley Shepard (Grottoes, Va.).

The Hornets responded with runs in the third and fourth inning before tacking on three runs in the top of the fifth, keyed by a three-run home run from designated player Morgan Austin.

Austin finished the game going 1-for-4 with a run scored and those three RBIs.

Lynchburg pushed its lead to 7-3 in the top of the sixth with Elizabeth Perkins and Swank each driving in a run. The Lady Royals fought back in the bottom of the inning with three runs of their own as Shepard tripled in freshman Brittany Caricofe (Bridgewater, Va.) and junior Anny Smucker (Bird In Hand, Pa.). EMU added another run on a Mandee Madden (Winchester, Va.) single to cut the LC lead to one.

Shepard went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs while rightfielder Anna Coleman (Fairfield, Va.) was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Lynchburg went on to score four more runs in the top of the seventh to seal the win with DiFranco finishing the game going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI while Dara Sandifer was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.

The Royals will now host Mary Baldwin in a double header beginning at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27 on Gehman Field.