Posted: Jun 09, 2015
Roanoke's 15 wins in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference ties the best win total (2013) in the past eight seasons. The Maroons got off to a rough start in the beginning of the season, playing tough, nationally ranked teams. However, the Maroons bounced back in the second half of the season, closing the regular season winning 12 of its final 14 games.
The Maroons opened the season on a 12 game road series, taking on some of the top teams in the nation. Roanoke started with a pair of games in Atlanta, facing off against Birmingham-Southern and #16 ranked Emory University. The Maroons fell in both of those contests, but it offered the team a true challenge to start the season. The squad then traveled down to Clermont, FL for six non-conference games during the Spring Break holiday. Roanoke went 3-3 in the six games, defeating Saint Mary's University (MN), Judson and Finlandia. The Maroons also took #6 ranked Trine to an eight inning, 8-7 Roanoke loss, but still had a strong showing. Roanoke closed the road stretch against Averett University, who had received votes in the NFCA poll at that time. The Cougars topped the Maroons twice, but again, Roanoke played well against a top team in the country.
By the team's first home game, the Maroons entered the Moyer Complex with a record of 3-7 in its first 10 contests. The Maroons were determined to turn the season around from that point. In the home opener series, the Maroons swept Greensboro College, 5-1 and 5-4 on March 17th. Just a few days later, Roanoke split a pair of games against Eastern Mennonite, winning 8-5 in the second game of the series. The Maroons would split another set of ODAC games, defeating Emory & Henry 12-0 in the first game, but falling 2-1 in the second. For one final time in the season, the Maroons went 1-1 against the Hornets of Lynchburg in Salem, winning 3-1, but taking an 11-9 nine inning loss in the second game.
The extra inning loss to Lynchburg lit a fire under the Maroons as they went on to win eight straight ODAC games, sweeping four consecutive teams in the process. Roanoke topped Sweet Briar (4-0; 8-0 - 5 inn.), Randolph (8-0 - 5 inn.; 12-4 - 6 inn.), Randolph-Macon (2-1; 1-0) and Shenandoah (1-0; 10-6). During the run, the Maroons had two players named ODAC Player of the Week in the same week. Kelly Higbie was named ODAC Pitcher of the Week after going 3-0 for the week, which included pitching a five inning no-hitter against Randolph. Taylor Carter earned ODAC Player of the Week honors after a week where she was 6-for-14 with two doubles a triple and a home run, with three RBIs and four runs scored.
The Maroons eight-game win streak came to an end though, after they ran into the #5 ranked Virginia Wesleyan. Roanoke played the Marlins tight, falling 3-0 and 6-2 in the two road games. The Maroons bounced back to win the final four games of the season, topping both Guilford and Bridgewater in double-header action.
After winning 12 of their last 14 games, the Maroons earned the #3 seed in the ODAC tournament, reaching the yearly event for the first time since 2013. The Maroons first game came with a 3-1 win over #6 seed Emory & Henry. The Maroons then advanced to take on Lynchburg, where the team fell 6-1 to the Hornets in the double elimination tournament. In the second day of play, the Maroons won their first loser's bracket game in exciting fashion, 5-4 over Guilford. Down 3-0 to the Quakers, Jordan Meador hit a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-3 lead over Guilford. Each team scored one more run by the end of the game, but Roanoke knocked Guilford out of the tournament with the 5-4 win.
In game two of the day for the Maroons, they took on Emory & Henry for the second time in the weekend. The two teams played in an increasingly muddy contest, as the rains poured down on field one of the Moyer Complex. Field crews continued to fix the field during the game to ensure that the game was completed. The Wasps chipped away at the Maroons during the game, scoring one run in each of the first, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Roanoke's lone run came in the bottom of the fifth, as Rachel Guilliams hit a solo home run to lead off the inning. However, the Maroons could not make up the deficit created by the Wasps, and fell 4-1 to be eliminated in the ODAC Tournament.
Freshman Taylor Carter led the Maroons in a number of statistical categories. She had a team high in runs (33), triples (3) and stolen bases (25). She finished the season with 35 hits, with five doubles and 14 RBI. She tied Becca Wenger and Samantha Baldwin with a team high in home runs with four each. Carter ranked in the top-10 in the ODAC in runs (7th), triples (3rd) and stolen bases (4th). Senior Rhea Schleicher was second on the team in runs scored with 21. She accumulated those runs off of 29 hits, four doubles, one triple and three home runs. She also knocked in nine RBI, while stealing 10 bases.
Samantha Baldwin led the Maroons in doubles with seven, two more than any other player on the team. She had seven runs off of 21 hits, with four home runs and a team high 19 RBI. Taylor Sutherland was second on the team in RBIs with 17, after scoring 14 runs off 27 hits, with four doubles.
In the circle, Kelly Higbie finished with a record of 14-12, with one save and 17 complete games. She pitched a total of 146.1 innings, where she struck out 87 batters and accumulated an ERA of 2.01. Ruthie Williams pitched her first season for the Maroons with a record of 7-2, which included six complete games. She struck out 43 batters and pitched her way to an ERA of 3.84.
The Maroons placed two on the All-ODAC teams in the 2015 season, with Kelly Higbie being named First Team, while Katie Smith earned Third Team honors.
Higbie, a senior from Midlothian, VA, closes her softball career as she opened it in 2012, with a First Team All-ODAC recognition. This is her third All-ODAC nod, having also being named Second Team All-ODAC in the 2013 season. Higbie was among the top pitchers in the ODAC this season. She ranked first in the conference in appearances (28) and starts (24). Higbie was second in the ODAC in complete games (17), and innings pitched (146.1). She also ranked in the top five in wins (3rd - 14), shutouts (3rd - 6) and strikeouts (4th - 87). Over her career at Roanoke College, Higbie ranks in the top five all time in 10 different categories, including ranking first in appearances (129), starts (110), complete games (87), innings pitched (705.2) and strikeouts (383). In single season records, her name 22 times in the top-five over nine different categories.
Smith, a freshman from Midlothian, VA, earns her first All-ODAC recognition in her freshman year. The outfielder played in 35 games and finished the season with a batting average of .383, which ranked 16th in the ODAC. She also had an on base percentage of .469 (8th), and a slugging percentage of .426. Smith ranked in the top-10 in the ODAC in walks (5th - 17), sacrifice flies (7th - 2) and stolen bases (8th - 10). She also put together 18 runs off 36 hits, along with two doubles and one triple. She had 13 runs batted in, while accumulating 40 total bases.
