GREENSBORO, NC - The Royals softball team had a quick turnaround, playing two games Saturday before turning around and traveling down to North Carolina for a pair of ODAC games with Guilford Sunday. 

EMU dropped game one to the Quakers, 7-5, before responding with a game two win, 7-3. The split moves EMU to 15-4-1, 1-3 ODAC. 

Highlights – Game One

• Much like what's happened in recent games, EMU got out to a lead in the first inning. After Erin Keith doubled and reached third on a wild pitch, Kaitlyn Fletcher doubled her home to put EMU up 1-0. Guilford responded in its half of the first, loading the bases against Natalye Graham before the Quakers number five hitter quickly cleared them to give Guilford a 4-1 lead. A double, sac bunt and a single gave GC a 5-1 lead before Graham got the final out of the inning.
• The Royals cut into the deficit in the top of the second, loading the bases and Grace Fravel scoring on a walk from Bri Allen. Erin Keith followed that up with an RBI single, scoring Korenn Paige and Fletcher drove in another run on a fielder's choice to make the score 5-4. But Guilford added a pair of run in their half of the second to end Graham's day and take a 7-4 lead after two.
• New Royals pitcher, Emily Campbell, kept the Quakers off the board for the rest of the game, but the EMU bats were also kept quiet until late. In the sixth, Campbell helped herself by doubling to right-center and came around to score on Paige's RBI single. But that was all the Royals offense would muster as they brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh but couldn't erase the Guilford lead. Graham picked up the loss, moving her to 4-2. Campbell pitched the final 4.1 innings, giving up two hits, no runs and adding a pair of strikeouts.
• Offensively, EMU was led by Keith, who finished 3-4 with a double, an RBI and a run. Paige was 2-2 with an RBI and a run and Fletcher had a pair of RBI.

Highlights - Game Two

• Guilford struck first in game two, using a single, error, a sac bunt and a double to take a 1-0 lead off Campbell, who got the start in the circle. EMU's offense was kept off the board until the third, when they were able to put together a run to tie things. Emerson Adkins picked up a one-out walk and moved to second on Allen's single. Adkins moved up to third on a foul out and came home when Fletcher reached on an error. The threat ended there as Guilford was able to get out of the jam. The Quakers re-took the lead in their half of the third on an RBI double. 
• EMU used big middle innings to pull back ahead, though, plating four across the fourth and fifth. In the top of the fourth, Fravel doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Campbell's double to tie things at two. Campbell then moved to third on a wild pitch and she crossed the plate from an Adkins RBI to take the lead. In the fifth, two walks and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with two outs but Fravel came through with another single, plating both runners and giving EMU some breathing room with a 5-2 lead. 
• Lantz led off the top of the seventh with a blast over the center field fence, her sixth of the season, and Autumn Bailey's sac fly gave the Royals a 7-2 lead. Campbell held the Quakers bats scoreless after the third until Guilford was able to push one across in the seventh. But she wrapped up the complete game, inducing a pop out to shortstop for the final out. She finished having given up just three earned runs with a strikeout. She now sits at 7-1 on the season. 
• At the plate, Fravel finished 3-4 with a double, two RBI and a run. Paige also had multiple hits, adding a double and a run.

By the Numbers

1 - With the win today, Campbell now has seven wins on the season. Coming into 2022, she had a combined eight career wins, which she is just one away from this year. 
11 - EMU is hitting .340 as a team for the season, which leads the ODAC. The next closest team, Randolph-Macon, is hitting .329. 
9 - In nine of the ODAC's offensive categories, EMU ranks in the top four in all of them. They are first with 151 runs, fourth with 193 hits, second with 41 doubles, fourth with seven triples, third with 12 homeruns, first with 126 RBI, first in batting average, second in OBP at .398 and first in slugging percentage at .500.  

What's Next

The Royals will be back in action on Thursday at Gehman Field with a doubleheader against Franklin and Marshall. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 3 pm. 

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