VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Roanoke finished 3-1 over the weekend at the Beach Blast Classic hosted by Virginia Wesleyan. After dropping a tough, 4-3 decision against #9 Salisbury, they rebounded with victories over Washington College (MD), 9-6, Rowan (NJ), 4-3 in nine innings, and an 8-4 victory over Shenandoah.

 

The Maroons (7-3), winners of three-straight, have had all three losses against top-10 teams this season.

 

In the opening game, the #9 Salisbury survived a late Roanoke rally to take a 4-3 decision. The Sea Gulls led 1-0 in the sixth inning when Alpaugh drilled her second home run of the day, a two-run shot to put Salisbury up, 3-0.

 

Harley Hill drove home a run with a double in the seventh inning to stretch the lead to 4-1, and it would prove invaluable as the Maroons came up with a pair of runs in the home half of the seventh to cut the lead to a run before pitcher Kelly Leary got a pop up to end the game.

 

Leary earned the win, allowing 10 hits and walking one while striking out five batters. Senior Kristin Lord and sophomore Carly Read each went 2-for-3 in the game. Read scored once and Lord drove home a run.

 

In the 9-6 win over Washington College during the second game on Friday, Roanoke jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Lisa Scruggs (Madison Heights, VA, Holy Cross) doubled in Leona Rainey (Sandston, VA, Mills Godwin) to make it 1-0 and would score on a Washington College fielding error. The Maroons added a run in the second when Scruggs singled in Katherine Kouri (Rockville, VA, Patrick Henry) to take a 3-0 lead.

 

Roanoke increased the lead to 7-0 with a four-run fourth inning. Scruggs doubled in Rainey and Alea Bier (Bent Mountain, VA, Cave Springs)to make it 5-0. Scruggs scored on a single by Hollee Warlitner (Clifton Forge, VA, Alleghany)to make it 6-0. Warlitner scored on a Washington fielding error to close out the scoring in the inning. 

 

The Shorewomen got onto the board in the bottom of the fourth when Shaelan Nottingham scored on a Snover single. Freshman Hilary Rosenberg tripled in the bottom of the fifth and scored on a Dockrill single to cut the Roanoke lead to five, 7-2.

 

The Maroons added two runs in the top of the sixth to make it 9-2. Warlitner scored on a single by Sara Caudle (Irvington, VA, Lancaster). The second run of the inning was capped on a Janie Holmes (Hartfield, VA, Middlesex) home run, her first of the season.

 

The Shorewomen got two in the bottom of the sixth and seventh to cut it to 9-6. In the sixth, Kylie Nottingham drove in Snover and Glascock plated Kylie Nottingham, both coming on RBI singles. In the seventh, Carbutt knocked in two on a double that scored Dockrill and Shaelan Nottingham to provide the final margin.

 

Abigail Rexrode (Fincastle, VA, James River) got the win in the circle for Roanoke as she tossed a complete game to get the victory.

For Washington, Walter took the loss in the circle and falls to 1-1. She gave up seven runs, five earned, five hits and struck out one hitter in four innings. Kimme allowed two unearned runs and fanned three as she hurled the last three frames.

 

Dockrill, Shaelan Nottingham and Snover all had two hits in the game. Shaelan Nottingham also scored twice for the Shorewomen.

 

In the first game on Saturday, Roanoke outlasted Rowan in the extra-inning victory. 

 

Gretchen Wolfe (New Windsor, NY, Newburgh Free Academy) was the winning pitcher in relief, entering the game in the eighth inning. Right-hander Amanda Singer went nine innings for the loss.

 

The score was tied at one after seven innings. Both teams tallied one run in the eighth to continue the game into extra innings. Ashlie Gaynor drove in left fielder Casey Roselle for the Profs' run. Gaynor ended the game with two hits in four at bats. Scruggs crossed the plate on a ground out for the Maroons' run and keep the game alive.

 

Rowan went up 3-2 in the top of the ninth. Right fielder Lauren Davis singled in third baseman Julie Leskanic. Roanoke tied the score when Kouri reached home on a fielder's choice.  Right fielder Hollee Warlitner drove in the winning run with a walk-off single.

 

The Maroons got on the scoreboard first with one run in the bottom of the third inning. Scruggs had a RBI-single that scored Rainey. Nicolina Veneziano singled in pinch runner Jenny Arcella in the fifth to tie the score for Rowan.

 

Wolfe earned her second win of the day in the 8-4 win over Shenandoah to cap the weekend for the Maroons, fanning six batters in her first complete game of the season.

 

Rainey and Meghan Weingard collected three hits for Roanoke, with Weingard scoring twice and drove in two runs for the game. Scruggs went 2-for-4 with a double. Julianna Caldwell (Catawba, VA, Glenvar ) had a double and drew two walks with two runs and an RBI.

 

RC got on the board in the first as Devon Briney and Scruggs scored off Caudle's single to centerfield to make it, 2-0. The Hornets tacked on a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the Maroon lead in half.

 

With the score, 3-2 in the fifth, Weingard smashed a three-run homer over right center to put the Maroons up, 6-2.

 

SU scored in the bottom of the fifth to make it, 6-3, but Roanoke added two runs in the seventh to give them a five-run advantage. Stephanie Clark (Nathalle, VA, Halifax) and Rainey each had RBI-singles which brought home Weingard and Caldwell.

 

The Maroons will play at the Moyer Complex this weekend in the Roanoke Valley College Softball Bash on March 12-13. The will take on Peace at 9 a.m. on Saturday and play three more games on the following day against Wartburg (9 a.m.), Cazenovia (11 a.m.) and Averett (3 p.m.).