The entire day was filled with drama, but the Royals rose to the occasion at the end of each game, sweeping an ODAC doubleheader from Lynchburg College on Sunday to lock up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming ODAC Softball Tournament.

EMU completes a huge week, which included sweeps of both Randolph-Macon and Lynchburg, who now sit tied for third in the ODAC at 11-5. The Royals wrapped up their conference slate on Sunday and are 13-5. R-MC hosts Lynchburg for their final league games, but even if one of those teams sweep that set to finish 13-5, Eastern Mennonite would still earn the No. 2 seed based on the head-to-head tie-breaker.

The Royals went 6-2 during the busy week, including a split with No. 16 Messiah College on Thursday.

The conference win total is tied for the second-most in program history, behind only a 14-4 season in 2011. Likewise, at 27-11 overall, the Royals are also tied for second-most total wins in their history, behind a 30-13 season in 2008.

The ODAC Tournament is April 29 – May 1 in Salem, Va.

EMU 7, Lynchburg 6
Danyele Smith (Broadway, Va./Broadway) was the trigger to the offense in game one, as she reached base four times and also scored four times.

EMU's shortstop led off the second with a walk and gave the home team the first lead by touching home on a double from senior Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance). After Lynchburg tied it with a homerun in the top of the third, the Royals came right back with four runs in the bottom of the frame.

Carli Hill (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance (led off with a single and Tiffani Shaheen (Fluvanna, Va./Fluvanna County) reached when the Hornets' botched her sacrifice attempt. Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) shot a single to center to bring both women home. Smith added an RBI double and Angelia Miller (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) laced an RBI single to vault EMU back up, 5-1.

Smith started a walk rally in the fifth, as Lucas drew the third free pass of the inning to force in a run to make it 6-1.

Just when things looked comfortable, Lynchburg stung in the sixth. They put together five hits with a hit batter to score five times, locking the game up at 6-6. Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County) took over in the circle and got two infield outs to strand an LC runner at third base.

Neither team managed much in their next at-bat, sending the game to EMU's half of the seventh. Smith led off and continued her hot streak by shooting a single up the middle. Sydney Reath (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) slickly bunted a single over the third basemen's head and Miller reached on another LC error to load the bases. Lucas quickly punched a single into left field to bring in Smith for the walk-off win.

Smith finished 2-2 with two walks. She scored four runs and knocked in another. Lucas batted 2-3 with a walk and three RBIs.

Seale pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit to get the win. Reath started and gave up six runs in 5.1.

EMU 4, Lynchburg 3
After an extended break between games as the Royals celebrated their Parent and Senior Recognition, the Hornets came out with the momentum, scoring twice in the first inning. EMU's offense, meanwhile, managed only one hit the first time through the order, and the women trailed 3-0 after three innings.

Finally in the fourth the Royals got rolling, triggered by Smith's two-out double. Reath and Miller followed with singles to score one run and Lucas hit single to plate another run to get within 3-2.

In the fifth, the women loaded the bases with nobody out and Smith stepped up to the plate. Instead of swinging away, she surprised the Hornets by dropping down a bunt to bring in a run and tie up the score at 3-3.

Lynchburg nearly had a two-out rally in the sixth, thanks to an EMU error, but after taking an open second base the LC runner rounded too far and got caught in a rundown. Smith applied the final tag to end the inning.

Lucas led off the bottom of the sixth with a rocket of a double to left center, and pitcher Janna Williams (Kenbridge, Va./Kenston Forest) sacrificed her to third. The extra base paid off when Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) sent a long fly ball into the foul territory of right field. Instead of letting it drop, the LC fielder made the running catch and Lucas tagged up to score easily for the go-ahead run.

Williams then returned to the circle for a 1-2-3 seventh, giving the Royals the sweep.

Despite being held without a walk for just the fifth time this season, the offense had 10 hits in the nightcap. Lucas was 2-3 with an RBI and run scored. Smith finished 1-2 with a run and RBI. Shaheen also had a pair of singles.

Williams entered in the third and pitched the final 4.1 to improve to 7-0 with the win. She allowed just one hit and one walk. Seale started and allowed seven baserunners in 2.2, giving up all three of LC's runs in a no-decision.

Eastern Mennonite has a quiet week, playing their final games of the regular season next week Sunday at McDaniel.

Sunday's Ceremonies
The day was started with a pre-game ceremony honoring Kaitlin Aylor, an incoming softball student-athlete who lost her life in an accident shortly before what would have been her freshman year of 2014-15. Her family was in attendance as a tree was planted and plans were announced on facility improvements, all in Aylor's honor.

The Royals also celebrated their three seniors between games: Payton Hill, Aislinn Lucas and Angelia Miller. Payton Hill transferred to EMU before this season after three years at York College (Pa.), and has been slowed by injuries after an all-conference rookie year. Lucas, a four-year starter in right field, is a two-time All-Region and All-State player with a .378 career batting average. Miller is a .380 career hitter who already owned the EMU record with 67 career walks and broke the career putouts mark during Sunday's games, now with 931.

Coach JD McCurdy said this group of seniors meant a lot to the EMU softball program: