Posted: Mar 08, 2010
Roanoke Softball got off to an impressive start this weekend, with wins against #11 Christopher Newport, UVA-Wise, West Virginia Tech and Meredith. They open to 2010 season, 7-1 with its only loss coming against the Captains in the Maroons season-opener.
The Maroons opened the season with a 1-0 upset-win over the Captains, ranked 11th in the NFCA Week One poll, in eight innings. Ruitenberg pitched six innings of scoreless softball as newcomer Abigail Rexrode (Fincastle, VA, James River)earned her first win of the year in relief. Leona Rainey (Sandston, VA, Mills Goodwin)drove home the winning run, bringing home Lis Norwich (Hegins, PA, Tri-Valley)from second to win the season-opener.
The Maroons fell, 5-4, to CNU in game two, as the Captains scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the win.
Norwich went 5.1 innings with three strikeouts in game two and left the game with a 3-2 lead. She helped her cause with a single to spark a three-run second inning. She scored along with Alea Bier (Bent Mountain, VA, Cave Spring)who walked off a Rainey two-RBI single. Lisa Scruggs (Madison Heights, VA, Holy Cross)blasted a single down the left field line which brought home Rainey to take a three-run lead.
Tied 3-3 in the top of the sixth, Hollee Warlitner (Clifton Forge, VA, Allegany)scored the go ahead run off a sacrifice fly from Rexrode. She earned her way home, as she singled and stole second prior to scoring to take the 4-3 lead.
Rainey and Scruggs finished 2-for-4 with two and one RBI, respectively.
Kelsey Ruitenberg (Geneva, IL, Geneva)hit a solo homer for the eventual game-winner at the plate and struck out nine on the mound in her complete game shutout, 3-0 win against UVA-Wise in game one. It was the start of a four-game Saturday for the Maroons at the Moyer Complex.
Jessica Zeman (Willis, VA, Floyd Co.)gave Roanoke some insurance runs with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win.
Roanoke pounded out 10 hits and scored eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings to earn a 10-4 come-from-behind win. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth, the Maroons' bats came alive, scoring four runs to take a 6-4 lead and added four more to keep UVA-Wise at bay.
Rainey went 3-for-3 with two runs while Felice Lowery (Madison Heights, VA, Lynchburg Christian)was 2-for-2 with three RBI. Warlitner had a three-run homer in the fifth to give the Maroons the lead for good.
The Maroons' bats were hot again, with 11 hits in a 15-4 win over West Virginia Tech. A six-run first inning was all the offense they needed as Gretchen Wolfe (New Windsor, NY, Newburgh Free Academy)allowed four with five strikeouts in her first win of the season.
Ruitenberg was hot at the plate, with a double and her second home run of the weekend. She scored three times and drove in four runs. Abbey Greenberg (Cherry Hill, NJ, Cherry Hill East)went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI against West Virginia Tech.
Jaci Clark (Roanoke, VA, Cave Spring)stepped up in a big way in a 3-1 win over WV Tech in game two to keep their winning-streak alive. She went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. She finished the weekend, 4-for-5, with five runs and drove in four in six games. Scruggs also collected two hits in the win.
Janie Holmes (Hartfield, VA, Middlesex)picked up her second win of the weekend, going the distance with nine strikeouts with only one walk.
Norwich picked up her first win of the season in a 7-2 win over Meredith on Sunday afternoon in game one of the non-conference doubleheader. She went six innings, allowing only three hits and one earned run. She once again helped herself out with a two-RBI single to highlight a five-run third inning.
In the fifth, Ruitnberg smashed her third round tripper of the season over the centerfield wall for a two-run homer to pull away from the Avenging Angels.
In game two, Roanoke claimed a 3-1 decision to end the weekend. Ruitenberg earned the win in a complete game effort, striking out three in her second win of the season.
Zeman broke a 1-1 tie as she scored off an throwing error to give the Maroons this slim advantage. In the top of the seventh, Lowery gave Roanoke an insurance run with an RBI-single to bring in Beir and held on to win their sixth-straight game.
Ruitenberg went 2-0 in three starts last week. In 19 innings of work, she totaled 16 strikeouts and allowed only one run with one shutout. She picked up wins against both UVA-Wise and Meredith.
Also a first baseman, Ruitenberg did well at the plate to help her cause this weekend. In seven games, she went 8-for-20 with three homeruns and nine RBI including two doubles, seven runs and three walks. After this weekend, she moved into a three-way tie for second all-time in home runs (17) and is only two strikeouts from third on the career strikeouts list (232).
The freshman came up big for the Maroons in their first career starts. Rainey finished the weekend 8-for-23 with five RBI and a team-high five stolen bases. Warlitner went 6-for-20 with her first career home run, five RBI and four stolen bases.
Holmes went 2-0 on the weekend with a 0.93 ERA with 12 strikeouts. She had a complete game win against West Virginia Tech, striking out nine batters and walked only one.
The Maroons are currently 7-1 on the season after playing in eight games in a span of 72 hours. They will travel to Bristol, VA this Wednesday to take on Virginia Intermont at 5:30 p.m. Roanoke split with the Cobras last season.
