Posted: Mar 20, 2009
BRISTOL, Va. --- Roanoke split with Virginia Intermont, 4-2 L and 5-3 W (8inn.) in non-divisional action Thursday evening. The Maroons are now 11-3 while the Cobras' record now stands at 8-16.
In the school's first meeting against the Cobras, the Maroons dropped the first game, 4-2 but bounced back to win the twin bill, 5-3 in extra innings.
The Cobras scored all of their runs in the first inning of game one as Odel hit a grand-slam to take the early 4-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, Kristin McCormick's single scored both Abbey Greenberg and Felice Lowery to cut the deficit to 4-2.
The Maroons threatened in the top of the seventh with two outs as Lisa Scruggs doubled and advanced to third off of Clarissa Norwich's single.
Kelsey Ruitenberg (3-1) dropped her first game of the season as she gave up four runs in five innings of work. She struck out a season-best nine batters while allowing only two hits. McCormick had a base hit, a walk and two RBI's while Lowery, Norwich and Scruggs singled in the losing effort.
Roanoke won game two, 5-3 but had to do it in extra innings, which seems to be the Maroons strong suit. The women are 3-0 in extra inning games this season.
Ruitenberg doubled to left center to bring in Norwich, who singled earlier to take the early 1-0 lead. The Maroons scored in the second as Taylor Zahn's RBI double brought in Gabby Moss to make the score, 2-0.
Odel drove in runs for VIC in the third and the bottom of the seventh to head into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Norwich went to second (international rule) to start the inning as Ruitenberg reached on base off a throwing error by the catcher as Norwich advanced to third.
Then Lowery's triple brought in both runners for the eventual game-winning runs. Moss' sacrifice fly brought in Lowery for the final run of the game and the Maroons' 11th win of the season.
Ruitenberg went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Jessica Zeman went 2-for-4 with a double for Roanoke. Norwich added a single and two runs in the win.
Gretchen Wolfe (4-1) picked up the win in relief, striking out four batters in 5.1 innings of play.
The women will host both Virginia Wesleyan and Randolph-Macon this weekend in two big ODAC doubleheaders. The Marlins are 11-5, 2-1 in the ODAC while the Yellow Jackets are the only atop the ODAC standings with a 9-5 record, 5-0 in conference play. Roanoke is 21-16 against the Marlins and 20-0 against the Yellow Jackets.
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