The Eastern Mennonite softball women banged out 31 hits in a doubleheader sweep on Tuesday afternoon, as they hosted Shenandoah University in the last home games of the season. The Royals improve to 17-11 (5-7 ODAC) on the year.

EMU will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to No. 25 Emory & Henry (21-7, 2-4 ODAC) for doubleheader action starting at 1:00. 

EMU 8, Shenandoah 7 - 8 innings
The Royals broke the first game open with a big fourth inning, making it through the full line up to take the lead.

Sam Breeden (Aroda, Va./Madison County) started things off with a leadoff single. Makayla Morris (Stanardsville, Va./William Monroe) followed up with a single of her own before Erin Rockwell (Alexandria, Va./Bishop Ireton) walked to load the bases. With two outs, Tiffani Shaheen (Fluvanna, Va./Fluvanna County) then had the big hit with a two-RBI double to bring the score within one, 4-3. 

Sydney Reath (Williamsburg, Va./Mercersburg Academy) smacked a hit up the middle for a two-RBI single to give the Royals the lead, 5-4. Alia Miller (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) took a flash at the bat to get herself on base and advance Reath to second. Then it was Kelsi Martin (Buena Vista, Va./Parry McCluer) who had a two-RBI double to increase the margin to 7-4. 

The Hornets would erase the three-run deficit and send the game into extra innings, but where unable to capitalize on their placed runner. 

In the bottom of the eighth with Rockwell placed on second, it would be Reath with the walkoff hit to give the Royals the win for game one. 

Reath led a 15-hit attacked with three hits and three RBIs in five at-bats while Danielle Brenneman (Waynesboro, Va./Stuarts Draft), Breeden, Miller and Morris each had two hits. 

Martin (8-3) earned the win in relief. Martin allowed three runs on six hits and struck out three in 5.0 innings. 

EMU 12, Shenandoah 4 - 6 innings
After giving up two early runs, the Royals answered with three of their own in the bottom of the first frame. Shaheen put herself in scoring position after stealing second, which was followed up with a double from Reath to start the scoring. Breeden then hit a two-RBI single to take the lead at 3-2. EMU went on to score one in the second, three in the third, four in the fifth and one in the sixth to end the game early.

Shaheen lead the offensive effort in game two after going 4-5 with two runs. Brenneman, Reath, Morris, and Beck Hoskins (Danville, Va./Westover Christian Academy) each added two runs. Reath added four RBIs. 

Miller pitched the complete game in the circle for the Royals, allowing four runs on 11 hits.