The Eastern Mennonite softball team out-hit Lynchburg College 18-9 on the day, but settled for a split with the highly-regarded Hornets.  The Royals' 9-1 win in the nightcap handed LC their first ODAC loss of the year, as the women knocked off the final two teams with undefeated conference records in back-to-back days.  EMU swept Randolph on Tuesday.

Lynchburg 5, EMU 0
The first game against the Hornets, who earlier in the day were listed at No. 26 in the NFCA national poll, was scoreless until the fifth.  From the start it looked like any other inning as Lynchburg had a runner on first with two outs.  But back-to-back singles scored one run, and a wild pitch brought in another.  Then a longball to left brought in three more runs to make it 5-0.

The Royals had their best chance to score in the seventh with a leadoff walk followed by two singles.  One runner was cut down trying to advance on a hit, however, and a ground ball and strikeout ended the threat and the game.

EMU had nine hits and all of them were singles.  Brooke Sigrist (Crimora, Va./Fort Defiance) and Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) each had three hits.

Pitcher Cara Neikirk (Salem, Va./Glenvar) allowed only four hits over six innings, but was hurt by the one bad frame to fall to 3-3.

EMU 9, Lynchburg 1 – 5 innings
The Royals made better use of their base runners in the nightcap, starting with their first trip to the plate.  Sigrist led off by reaching on an error, and Molly Smith (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) cranked a two-run homer to left center for the quick lead.

Lynchburg scored once in the second with a two-out infield hit, but the women went back to work in the third.  EMU loaded the bases with nobody out, and Brooke Hensley (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) drove a two-run single to center.  Two more runs scored when Foltz reached on an error as they pushed the lead to 6-1.

After a 1-2-3 at-bat for the Hornets, EMU loaded the bases again in the fourth.  Foltz had a clutch two-out double to clear the bases, making the lead 9-1.

The Hornets got a couple of runners on in their half of the fourth, but then went down in order in the fifth as the game ended on the mercy rule.

Smith finished the game 3-3 with two runs and two RBIs.  Included in that was her second homerun of the season.  Sigrist continued to set the plate by batting 3-4 with two runs out of the leadoff spot.

Hensley was 1-2 with a walk, scoring twice and knocking in two.  Foltz charted just one hit, but had four RBIs.  Jerrica McCallister (Timberville, Va./Broadway) walked twice and scored twice.

Jordan Aylor (Madison, Va./Madison County) went the distance in the nightcap, earning the win from the circle.  She allowed just five hits in five innings.

Eastern Mennonite is now 8-11-1 overall and 3-4-1 in the ODAC as they have won three of their last four games.  They play their next 10 contests at home, starting with Saturday's ODAC doubleheader with Emory & Henry.  First pitch will be at 1:00pm.