Saturday was a thrilling day for Senior and Parent Recognition as EMU's softball women earned a pair of ODAC wins from visiting Randolph College. The Royals have now won four in a row to improve their record to 17-5 overall and 5-5 in the ODAC.

Eastern Mennonite hits the road on Sunday, playing another ODAC set at Lynchburg College. First pitch is at 1:30pm.

EMU 8, Randolph 0 – 5 innings
The Royals had no problem with Randolph's top pitcher, Lindsey Chaney, in the opener, getting back-to-back singles from Alexa Sheets (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) and Beck Hoskins (Danville, Va./Westover Christian Academy) to start the first. Sydney Reath (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) singled in Sheets for the first run before Lauren Seale brought in Hoskins with a squeeze bunt.

Hoskins then chased in two more runs in the second with a two-out single. Freshman Savannah Jones (Stanley, Va./Page County) launched her first career homerun to right center in the third, giving the women a 5-0 lead.

With two runners on base and just one away in the bottom of the fifth, Seale celebrated her own Senior Day by sending a three-run homer to right, triggering the mercy rule in walk-off fashion.

Seale was the driving force at the plate and in the circle, where she struck out five in the four-hit shutout. Offensively, she finished 1-2 with four RBIs and a run scored. Sheets batted 3-3 with two runs and Hoskins was 2-3 with two RBIs and two runs.

EMU 6, Randolph 5
The second game was full of gut-wrenching plays and a comeback ending.

The teams traded unearned runs early, before the Royals took their first lead in the bottom of the third. EMU loaded the bases with one out and brought a runner home on a sacrifice fly from Seale, only to have another runner cut down on the basepaths after the run scored.

In the fourth, the Royals had a scoring opportunity snuffed out with a runner was picked off third base to end the inning.

An error and a passed ball in the fifth opened the door for the visitors, and the WildCats charged through to score three times and grab a 4-2 lead. They made it 5-2 with a two-out run in the sixth.

Jones went yard again to lead off the sixth, returning the deficit to two runs.

In the seventh, Randolph put Chaney back in the circle and the Royals licked their chops. Reath hit a one-out single to get the ball rolling and Seale drew a walk to put two on. Jones hit an RBI double to cut the lead to one and Cassidey Chrisman (Staunton, Va./Riverheads) punched a single to left to bring in Seale to tie the game. With runners on the corners and just one away, Mariann Smith (Hood, Va./Madison County) put down a perfect bunt, leaving the WildCats no chance to get Jones at home as she scored for the walk-off.

Each team had nine hits, but the Royals bolstered their effort by earning eight walks against no strikeouts. Jones finished 3-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Chrisman was 2-3 with a walk and two RBIs while Smith was 1-1 with two walks and the game-winning RBI.

Reath had a pair of singles and a walk, while also getting the win from the circle. Only two of Randolph's five runs were earned.

Senior Recognition
EMU's three seniors were honored before the game. Mariah Foltz is a two-time All-ODAC third baseman who has been a four-year starter. This year she has played some games at shortstop, and should finish near the top of EMU career lists in hits, doubles and assists. Lauren Seale is a three-year starter who will graduate early next December. She is also an All-ODAC performer who has a .330 career batting average along with 23 wins in the circle. Brittany McCullock (Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora) transferred to the EMU program before her sophomore year and has been the ultimate teammate in her three years, twice voted by her fellow players as the Teammate of the Year.

Coach J.D. McCurdy said the games provided fitting outcomes for his seniors: