The Basics – ODAC Quarterfinals
Game 1
Score: #4 Roanoke 4 | #5 Bridgewater 3 (8 innings)
Records: Maroons 20-9 | Eagles 10-14
Location: Salem, Va.
The Lead: After splitting with Bridgewater on Tuesday night, the Roanoke College softball team welcomed the Eagles back to Salem for the quarterfinal round of the 2021 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Softball Tournament. Bridgewater raced out to a 3-0 lead before the Maroons rallied to tie the score and send game one into extra innings. Roanoke stopped BC from scoring in the top half before plating the winning run in the bottom of the eighth to take a 1-0 series lead. The Maroons never trailed in game two as four late runs would allow RC to complete the sweep and advance in the ODAC Tournament.
How it Happened:
- Three Eagle runs, two earned, would see the visitors take a lead into the bottom of the third.
- With the wind swirling, Rachel Sirbaugh took one out to right center to cut the Bridgewater lead to 3-1.
- One inning later, a Shanan Hester single would bring home Meri Bostic and Rebecca Hensley to tie the score at 3-3.
- Jada Karnes retired 10 straight Eagles to keep the game tied as the two long time ODAC rivals headed to extra innings.
- BC would move the runner to third with a SAC bunt. Karnes then recorded her sixth strikeout before a ground out, pitcher to first, would keep the score at 3-3.
- In the bottom half, Jordyn DiFava was put on second base and when Bostic was hit by a pitch, Roanoke had two on. DiFava and Bostic stole second and third to put two in scoring position. After a strikeout, Hensley delivered a game winning RBI with a fielder's choice in the hole between second and first for the 4-3 win.
The Basics
Game 2
Score: #4 Roanoke 8 | #5 Bridgewater 4
Records: Maroons 21-9 | Eagles 11-15
Location: Salem, Va.
How it Happened:
- Kate Houle drove in Brooke Trapuzzano in the bottom of the first for an early, 1-0, lead.
- Bostic and DiFava would score in the second inning to stake the Maroons to a 3-0 advantage. In the bottom of the fourth, DiFava drove in Morgan Clark to push their lead to 4-0.
- In the top of the fifth, Bridgewater would tie the score after sending four players across the plate. In the bottom half, Houle blasted a two run home run to put the Maroons back in front.
- Hensley and Trapuzzano would use back-to-back at bats to double the lead as Roanoke would close out the eagles, 8-4.
- Hester went 4.2 innings, giving up three runs with three strikeouts. Karnes came in relief and picked up her second win of the day and 14th of the season.
Up Next: Roanoke will travel to Virginia Beach to face 31 seed Virginia Wesleyan in the semifinals of the 2021 ODAC Softball Tournament.
