Eastern Mennonite's softball team had little trouble with Southern Virginia in their home opener Wednesday afternoon in Harrisonburg, using a sweep to run their winning streak to seven.

Sophomore Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County) highlighted the day by smacking a grand slam while also throwing a no-hitter in the opener. EMU hit two homers on the day.

At 9-3 overall, the Royals hit the road again this weekend for a twinbill at Mary Washington on Sunday. Start time in Fredericksburg, Va., is 1:00pm.

EMU 19, Southern Virginia 0 – 5 innings
The offense was contagious in the opener, started by three runs in the bottom of the first. The big sticks came out in the second.

Seale started things off with a double to left center. The Royals scored three runs without getting the ball out of the infield, but eventually Seale stepped back up to the plate with the bases loaded and uncorked a longball to center field, with the four-bagger bumping the lead to 10-0. The rally re-started with a walk by Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) and EMU proceeded to bring in four more scores.

After 16 batters, only five hits and three errors, the Royals scored 12 runs in the frame to inflate a 15-0 cushion after two.

Even with a number of defensive changes around her, Seale continued to shine in the circle. The sophomore allowed just two walks as she no-hit the Knights, striking out six to improve to 2-1 on the year.

Seale also led the offense, going 2-3 with four RBIs and two runs. Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) was 2-2 and was hit by a pitch, scoring three times and driving in three teammates. Alexa Sheets (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) and Tiffani Shaheen (Fluvanna, Va./Fluvanna County) each scored three times.

EMU 5, Southern Virginia 0
SVU's pitching and defense settled down in the second game, but freshman pitcher Sydney Reath (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) still shut them down at the plate as she was perfect through the first three innings. The Royals took a 2-0 lead with Shaheen scoring in both the first and third innings.

The Knights finally got their first hits in the fourth but still never advanced a runner past second base.

After leaving the bags loaded in the bottom of the fourth, Eastern Mennonite finally got some breathing room in the sixth. Danyele Smith (Broadway, Va./Broadway) led off with a big double to left center, and Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) followed with a first pitch bomb to left, doubling the lead to 4-0. Reath helped her own cause by singling and eventually scoring on a two-out error for the final tally.

Reath finished with a complete game shutout, scattering five hits with four strikeouts to improve to 4-2.

She was also one of four women with two hits, along with Lucas, Shaheen and Angelia Miller (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby).

Coach JD McCurdy said his team is playing well in all facets of the game right now: