The offense came alive for the Royals in Tuesday's season-ending doubleheader against Randolph. Sierra Lantz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) blasted two homers in the opener and Autumn Bailey (Harrisonburg, Va./East Rockingham) racked up eight RBIs in the nightcap as EMU scored 13 runs in each end of the split.

EMU 13, Randolph 2
Hungry for their first ODAC win, the Royals immediately jumped on Randolph's pitching staff. Bri Allen (Weyers Cave, Va./Fort Defiance) opened with a double and Elizabeth Horn (Dover, Del./Polytech) reached on a bunt single. Lantz then brought everyone home with a longball to left center. After a quick pitching change, the Royals re-started with a single from Korenn Paige (Winchester, Va./Sherando). The first seven batters reached safely and the first six scored, as EMU batted around and surged to a 6-0 lead after one inning.

The WildCats chipped in single runs in the third and fourth before Eastern Mennonite exploded again in the bottom of the fourth. Horn started it with a one-out single and Lantz followed up by jacking an 0-2 pitch out to left center once again for a two-run homer. Paige again continued the momentum with a single as the Royals eventually batted 13 times in the frame, plating seven more runs for the huge 13-2 lead.

Pitcher Emily Campbell (Broadway, Va./Broadway) finished off the mercy-shortened win in the fifth, as she scattered eight hits and only allowed one earn run.

Horn had three of her team's 15 hits. Erin Keith (Stuart, Va./Patrick County) also reached base three times with a pair of hits and a walk. Each of the women accounted for three runs. Lantz provided the big stick, however, hitting her sixth and seventh home runs of the season and picking up six RBIs.

Randolph 17, EMU 13
The nightcap was a wild back-and-forth affair, as the teams combined for 30 hits and 30 runs.

Each team scored twice in the first inning before Randolph scored in their next two at-bats to nudge to a 5-2 lead.

Eastern Mennonite came up big in the bottom of the third, as Lantz led off with a single and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Bailey rocketed a double to the gap in left, plating all three runners to tie the game. Allen then hit a two-out single to give the Royals their first lead.

The Royals were back at it in the fifth. Paige hit an RBI double before an infield hit and walk again loaded the bases for Bailey. This time EMU's catcher lofted a fly ball down the left field line which cleared the fence for a grand slam, inflating an 11-5 lead. The women looked to score more, but left the bases loaded.

It turns out the runs were needed, as the WildCats started their comeback in the fifth. The visitors scored five times, all with two outs, to climb back within one run at 11-10.

Randolph loaded the bases again in the sixth and ended up scoring four more to get back in the lead at 14-11. EMU's pitching depth was depleted by the seventh and the WildCats scored three times to go up 17-11.

Despite the deficit, the Royals didn't give up and struck a two-out rally in their final at-bat. One run scored on a hit batsman and another on an infield single, but with the tying run at the plate a foul out to the first baseman ended the comeback attempt.

Bailey finished 3-5 with eight RBIs, coming just a triple short of hitting for the cycle. Lantz also had three hits and scored three runs. Paige reached base three times, finishing with three runs and an RBI.

All three of EMU's pitchers saw action in the game, with Paige throwing the final two innings and taking the loss.

With a young roster void of seniors, the Royals stayed competitive until the end of the season, finishing with a mark of 3-23 overall and 1-19 in ODAC play.