Playing under frigid conditions on Saturday afternoon and just hours after snow flurries had danced across the Shenandoah Valley, EMU's softball women were further chilled as they dropped an ODAC doubleheader to visiting Emory & Henry.  The Wasps took the lead in their final at-bat of each contest as they maintained their first-place position in the conference standings.

Emory & Henry 11, EMU 9 – 8 innings
The first game featured multiple lead changes and ties.  EMU took the first lead with two runs in the bottom of the first, but the Wasps skipped in front with three in their next at-bat.  Angelia Miller (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) ripped a two-run homerun down the right field line in the third, flipping the Royals back on front, 4-3.  Emory & Henry again took it back, getting a two-out, two-run triple in the fourth.

The women tied the score at 5-5 with a two-out unearned run in their half of the fourth, and then each team scored twice in the fifth to leave it tied at 7-7.

The bats suddenly went cold and the game slipped into extra innings.  EMU had nearly gotten out of the top of the eighth unscathed, but a two-out error opened the door and Emory & Henry took full advantage.  The visitors scored four unearned runs, including the final two on a homerun, to go ahead 11-7.

Eastern Mennonite scored twice and had the tying runs in scoring position, but a pop foul to the first baseman ended the rally with EHC getting the two-run decision.

Danyele Smith (Broadway, Va./Broadway) batted 3-5 in the opener with two runs and one RBI.  Jordan Aylor (Madison, Va./Madison County) finished 2-4 with two RBIs and a run.  Miller was 1-3 with a walk, scoring twice and driving in two.  Lauren Campbell (Stuarts Draft, Va./Stuarts Draft) also had two RBIs.

Cara Neikirk (Salem, Va./Glenvar) was tagged with the loss, giving up four unearned runs in 2.2 innings of work.

Emory & Henry 4, EMU 3
The second game was just as back-and-forth as the first.  EMU took the first lead with small ball turning into a two-out RBI single in the second.  But the Wasps came right back in the third, scoring a pair of unearned runs to go ahead 2-1.

The Royals finally got the lead back in the fifth, tallying the tying run on a sacrifice fly followed by Smith's second homerun of the season to make it 3-2.  Emory & Henry had an answer again, tying it with an infield single in the sixth, and then squeaking in front on back-to-back doubles with two outs in the seventh.

EMU went down in order in the bottom of the frame, ending the game with a second disappointing loss.

Vivian Maddox (Rustburg, Va./Brookville) batted 3-4 in the nightcap, scoring once and driving in another.  Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) was 2-2 with a walk, while Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County) was 2-3 with a run.

Seale also went the distance in the circle, giving up two earned runs with seven strikeouts while getting saddled with her first collegiate loss.

Now 9-5 overall and 4-4 in the ODAC, the Royals return to Gehman Field Sunday afternoon, hosting Guilford at 1:30pm.