HARRISONBURG, Va. - Good teams find ways to win. The Royals were missing three starters in the first game and made three errors while giving up eight runs in the second game...and came away with a pair of wins. 

EMU picked up its fourth and fifth straight win Tuesday, shutting out Mary Baldwin in game one, 5-0, before winning the slugfest of game two, 10-8. EMU now sits at 13-1, 0-0 ODAC. 

Highlights - Game One

• EMU got all their offense in the first inning. After starter Natalye Graham worked out of two-out jam, the Royals bats got to work early. Bri Allen led off with a double which was followed by an Erin Keith walk. After a pop out, Grace Fravel loaded the bases, reaching on a fielder's choice. A strikeout gave Mary Baldwin two outs but Autumn Bailey reached on another fielder's choice, driving in Allen. Then Emily Campbell walked driving in a run. Becca Boone then doubled to right center, clearing the bases and giving EMU a 5-0 lead. 
• The Fighting Squirrels were struggling with Graham, who kept the Mary Baldwin hitters off balance. She had runners on in all but one inning but the first-year kept Mary Baldwin scoreless, picking up a shutout in her first collegiate complete game while picking up a career-high 10 strikeouts. The win moved her to 3-0 on the season.
• Offensively, the Royals were led by Allen who was 2-4 with two doubles and a run scored. Boone's three RBI was tops for EMU while Bailey and Campbell also drove in a run apiece. 

Highlights - Game Two

• This time it was Mary Baldwin that got on the board first, taking advantage of two Royals errors to plate three runs and take a 3-0 lead off Campbell, who got the start for EMU. The picked up two of their own in the first, with Allen walking and moving to second on an MBU error. She advanced to third and scored on a passed ball, which was followed by a Kaitlyn Fletcher walk. Fletcher picked up a pair of bases on wild pitches and scored on Grace Fravel's sacrifice bunt. 
• Neither team scored in the second or third but EMU took the lead for good in the fourth. Boone picked up a one-out single and moved to second on another wild pitch. Rayn Robinson came into pinch run and, after moving to third on a wild pitch, came around to tie the game on Korenn Paige's sacrifice fly. Campbell singled, putting runners on first and second and Allen doubled yet again, plating two and giving EMU a 5-3 lead. After Keith reached on an error that put Allen on third, Keith stole second and the pair came into score on a Fletcher single, putting the Royals ahead 7-3. 
• The Fighting Squirrels would add three in the fifth, cutting the deficit to one but Campbell would work out of the jam with a groundout to keep EMU ahead. The Royals would respond with three of their own in the fifth, picking up an unearned run from Fravel and a two-RBI single from Keith. 
• In the sixth, Mary Baldwin, trailing 10-6, was able to get two across and had the tying run at the plate, which ended the day for Campbell. Graham came in and got a pair of outs to keep EMU ahead by two. The Royals went down in order in the sixth and Mary Baldwin was able to put two aboard in their half of the seventh with a a pair of singles but the tying run was stranded when Graham induced a groundout to end the game. Campbell went 5.1 innings, giving up four earned runs while striking out two and picking up her sixth win of the season. Fravel's final 1.2 innings earned her her second save. 
• The Royals were led by Allen who picked up another pair of doubles along with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs. Keith also drove in two to go along with a hit and a run, Fletcher drove in two and Bailey scored twice. 

By the Numbers

3 - Allen's four doubles gives her 12 on the season, which leads the ODAC. The next closest player has nine. 
20+ - The Royals 13-1 record is the best start through its first 14 games that EMU has had in over 20 years, making it the best start in coach JD McCurdy's 19 years at the helm. 

Postgame Interview with N. Graham and B. Allen

What's Next

The Royals will return to the diamond on Thursday when they take on Hood College in a doubleheader at Gehman Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 pm. 

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