SALEM --- Roanoke scored three runs in the first inning and never trailed in a 4-1 victory in the first round of the ODAC Softball Tournament held at the Moyer Complex Friday afternoon. 

The Maroons, who improved to 26-9 on the season, won their second post-season game since 2006.  The only other win over that span was during the 2009 season.  RC has won 12 of its last 14 games, including the last three-straight over Randolph.

Roanoke scored three runs in its first at bat to take the early lead and hold the momentum which lasted throughout the rest of the game.  Leona Rainey led off with an infield base hit and stole second.  Alea Bier forced a walk and both were put in scoring position after a sacrifice bunt by Hollee Warlitner with one out.

Stephanie Clark's sacrifice fly to scored both Rainey and Bier after an error by the centerfielder to make it, 2-0.  Clark was brought home off an RBI-single by Felice Lowery to make the score, 3-0.

Randolph tacked on a run to cut the lead to within two in the top of the fifth.  In the bottom half of the inning, Roanoke put the lead back up to three, 4-1 as pitcher Kelly Higbie helped her cause with an RBI-single to bring home Clark for her second run of the game.

With the win on the mound, Kelly Higbie (22-8) tied RC Hall of Famer and former NFCA All-American Amy Layman '01, for the single-season wins record.  The freshman hurler pitched her ODAC-best 27^th complete game, striking out four batters and scattered six hits.  She already holds the record for most innings pitched with 192.1. Higbie produced at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Two-time ODAC Player of the Week selection Lowery went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Katherine Kouri smacked a double while Stephanie Clark scored two of the four runs in the victory.

Rainey led Roanoke, going 3-for-4 at the plate, including three stolen bases and her 50^th run of the season.  The all-time stolen bases leader at Roanoke is now sixth for the most runs in a season.  The single-season stolen bases leader (39) needs only six more to break the ODAC-record.  Her 101 career stolen bases make her only the third player in ODAC-history to reach the triple-digit plateau.  She needs only eight more to break the ODAC career stolen bases record.

The women will take on Eastern Mennonite in the winner's bracket of the ODAC Tournament at 6 p.m. tonight.