The EMU softball team open their 2020 season at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Sunday. The Royals scored four runs in their first at-bat of the year, but couldn't maintain the momentum and took a pair of losses.

The women return to the field Monday for their second of four straight days of games. Eastern Mennonite gets Mansfield at 11:30am followed by Franklin Pierce at 1:30pm. Live links are available online.

Castleton 9, EMU 5
The Royals' season started out with a bang, as Emily Davis (King George, Va./Fredericksburg Christian) led off the bottom of the first with a single and the women loaded the bases with nobody out. Cassidey Chrisman (Staunton, Va./Riverheads) shot a two-single through the right side to put EMU in front, and Emma West (Gloucester, Va./Gloucester) and Becca Boone (Winchester, Va./James Wood) added back-to-back RBI singles with two away for a 4-1 lead.

But the Spartans tied it with three runs in the second to go up 6-4 in the third. Korenn Paige (Winchester, Va./Sherando) hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third to cut the margin to one but the Royals failed to get a clutch hit after that.

EMU left on eight base runners over the final four frames, including three in the seventh after loading the bases with nobody out.

Each team had 12 hits in the game. Chrisman, the Royals' lone senior, batted 3-4 with two RBIs and a run. Davis and West each hit three singles.

Emily Campbell (Broadway, Va./Broadway) pitched all seven innings, with seven of her nine runs being earned.

Muhlenberg 10, EMU 0 – 5 inn.
Getting hits was not as easy against a good Muhlenberg team, as EMU was limited to just three singles. The Mules, meanwhile, mustered five runs in the top of the first and never looked back in the mercy-shortened game.

Catcher Autumn Bailey (Harrisonburg, Va./East Rockingham) drew three walks to reach base each time she came to the plate.

Junior Rebecca Crothers (Scottsville, Va./Fluvanna County) gave up all of Muhlenberg's runs in 4.1 innings, although only five were earned. DeAnna Roach (Stanardsville, Va./United Christian Academy) pitched the final 0.2.