The EMU softball women split another ODAC doubleheader on Saturday.  The Royals grabbed a walk-off win over visiting Randolph in the first game before losing a one-run decision in the nightcap.  They also celebrated Seniors and Parents Recognition in separate ceremonies during the day.

EMU 4, Randolph 3
The Royals left four runners on base over the first two innings before finally breaking through in the third, scoring on a two-out wild pitch.

Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) led off the fourth with a single and started a rally.  Cameron Wright (Gordonsville, Va./The Covenant School) drove her home with a pinch hit single down the left field line, and Jordan Aylor (Madison, Va./Madison County) later added an RBI double to make it 3-0.

Leadoff walks in the fifth and sixth allowed Randolph to tie the game while also chasing Aylor from the pitchers circle.  Cara Neikirk (Salem, Va./Glenvar) entered in relief and kept the ball in the infield to end the threat and keep the score locked at 3-3.

Neither team did much offensively until the bottom of the seventh.  Danyele Smith (Broadway, Va./Broadway) then started things the hard way by getting hit with a pitch.  Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) launched a double deep into right center, bringing in Smith for the walk-off hit.

Lucas led the nine-hit attack by going 3-4 with a pair of doubles including the game-winning hit.  Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) was 2-4 with a run and Vivian Maddox (Rustburg, Va./Brookville) also reached twice with a single and walk.

Aylor allowed three runs in 5.0 innings and got a no decision.  Neikirk allowed just one hit in 2.0 innings and improved to 3-1 with the win.

Randolph 6, EMU 5
Led by Smith, the Royals had a hot start to the second game.  The shortstop jacked a three-run homerun to center in the first, and then ripped a solo shot to lead off the third, making it 4-0.

But the WildCats broke loose in their next at-bat.  After a leadoff walk, a pair of popups to short made it look like any other scoreless inning.  Randolph then got hot, however, putting together five straight hits, including a two-run double followed by a two-run homer, locking things up at 4-4.  After a Neikirk relieved starting pitcher Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County), another RBI single gave the WildCats a 5-4 lead before the defense caught the batter trying to reach second on the throw home.  But the damage had been done.

The visitors strung together three hits in the fifth to bump the lead to 6-4.

Angelia Miller (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) led off the sixth with a single, and Casey Racer's (Madison, Va./Madison County) RBI single cut the deficit to one.  EMU got a two-out walk in the seventh, but there was no late magic this time in the one-run loss.

The offense struggled to solve Randolph's off-speed pitching in the nightcap, managing just six hits.  Smith had two of those with her fourth and fifth homers of the year for four RBIs, and added two walks.  Maddox finished 2-4.

Seale was tagged for five runs in 3.2 innings and fell to 4-3 with the loss.  Neikirk allowed one run on five hits in 3.1 innings of relief.

The day saw the final home games for four EMU softball players.  Senior pitcher/outfielder Jordan Aylor is the lone four-year player on this year's team, while juniors Casey Racer, Nicolette Cuevas (Suffolk, Va./King's Fork) and Lauren Campbell (Stuarts Draft, Va./Stuarts Draft) will also graduate next December.

Now 14-10 overall and 7-9 in the ODAC, the Royals get a tough test tomorrow, travelling to third-place Lynchburg.  First pitch is at 1:30pm.

Coach J.D. McCurdy talks about his team's split with Randolph as well as the four graduating players the Royals recognized in pre-game ceremonies: