EMU's bats were swinging Thursday at Juniata, as the softball women clubbed their way to a sweep of the Eagles.  Eastern Mennonite scored 13 runs in each game of the doubleheader to improve to 5-1 on the season.

EMU 13, Juniata 5 – 5 innings
Junior Angelia Miller (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) provided the big swings in the opener, starting with a leadoff homerun to open the scoring in the second inning.  After the Eagles got a solo shot in their half of the second, Miller jacked out a grand slam in the third, bumping EMU to a 5-1 lead.

Juniata got three of the runs back in the bottom of the third before EMU erupted in the fifth.  Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) led off with a walk, triggering a 13-batter, eight-run frame.  Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County) had a bases loaded double to bring in three runs, and both Danyele Smith (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and Miller added two-RBI singles.  Juniata score a single run in the bottom of the frame but it wasn't enough to stop the mercy rule ending.

The Royals had 13 hits in the game and also drew seven walks.  Miller finished 4-4 with two homeruns and a whopping seven RBIs.  She also scored three times.  Smith was 3-4 with two runs and two RBIs.  Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) each reached base three times, charting two hits and walk.

Cara Neikirk (Salem, Va./Glenvar) pitched the first 2.0+ innings and was tagged for four of JC's runs.  Lauren Campbell (Stuarts Draft, Va./Stuarts Draft) threw the final 3.0 to earn the win.

EMU 13, Juniata 7
Things didn't slow down in the nightcap, as EMU sent 11 women to the plate in the first inning.  Five runs scored, highlighted by Lucas' two-run double.  The Eagles had their own big frame, scoring four times and chasing Johnson, who started in the circle.  But the home team left the bases loaded as the Royals maintained the lead.

Foltz led off the second with a homerun, and then Smith had a two-run longball to highlight a three-run third inning, as EMU bumped their lead back up to 9-4.

Juniata scored once in the third, and used a pair of solo shots in the fourth to get back within two at 9-7, but EMU's pitchers shut them down from there.  Miller added an RBI single in the fifth, and the women plated three more in the seventh to produce the final margin.

The Royals tapped out 16 hits with five more walks to do their damage in the nightcap.  Foltz led the team attack, hitting 3-5 with four runs and three RBIs.  Lucas finished 3-5 with three RBIs.  Haley Thomas (Salem, Va./Salem) reached base four times with two singles and two walks.  Smith was 2-4 with a walk, scoring three times and knocking in three more.

Williams was charged with four runs in 0.2 innings in the circle.  Seale gave up three in 3.1 innings to get the win in relief.  Campbell did another 3.0 in relief, getting the long save as she allowed only two hits and no runs.

Eastern Mennonite will try to maintain their momentum in a conference doubleheader this Saturday at Roanoke.  First pitch against the Maroons is at 1:00pm.  EMU then returns home on Sunday, hosting No. 22 Christopher Newport at 1:30pm.