NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The 10th-ranked Randolph-Macon softball team took the road for a double header at the Cross Bay Bash, squaring off with Stockton and second-ranked Christopher Newport on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets won a thriller over Stockton, 6-5 in extra innings in game one, but fell to Christopher Newport 10-2 in game two.
The Basics:
Scores: Randolph-Macon 6, Stockton 5 (8 innings) Randolph-Macon 2, Christopher Newport 10 (6 innings)
Location: Newport News, Va./Christopher Newport University/Captains Park
Records: Randolph-Macon (8-4, 0-0 ODAC), Stockton (3-7, 0-0 NJAC), Christopher Newport (11-3, 0-0 C2C)
How it Happened (Game 1):
- Stockton picked up a run in the bottom of the first inning after the leadoff batter walked and came around to score on a wild pitch.
- The Ospreys tallied another two runs in the second inning to open a 3-0 lead thanks to three hits including an RBI double allowed them to extend the lead.
- RMC found two-out magic in the top of the fourth, as Olivia Owens (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett) singled home Riley Baughan (Warsaw, Va./Rappahannock), followed by a two-run game-tying homer by Maddy Bates (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) to knot the score at three.
- Ellie Herndon (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) led off the top of the fifth with a double and was driven in by Amanda Lanyon (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) who singled and came around to score on a wild pitch, giving RMC a 5-3 lead.
- Stockton answered back with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to one and then proceeded to tie it with a two-out game-tying double in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings.
- With two outs in the eighth, Olivia Owens picked up another RBI with a double to score a run and give RMC the lead. Gracie Ellis (New Kent, Va./New Kent), who came on in relief of Baughan, pitched a flawless eighth inning, stranding the baserunner on third to give RMC the win.
By the Numbers (Game 1):
- Maddy Bates had a big home run in the fourth to tie the game for RMC. She ended the game 1-4 with two RBI.
- Olivia Owens stayed hot at the plate, going 2-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. She had the game winner in the eighth inning for RMC.
- Amanda Lanyon set the table at the top of the lineup, going 2-4 with a double and an RBI. She also had a stolen base to her credit.
- In three innings of relief work, Gracie Ellis allowed just one run and had five strikeouts.
How it Happened (Game 2):
- RMC got two hits in the first inning but stranded both runners. CNU got on the board in the bottom of the first with three runs on three hits, including a double that made the score 3-0.
- Kayla Davis (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) knocked in a run on an RBI triple in the top of the third to bring the deficit within two for RMC.
- The Yellow Jackets got runners into scoring position the next three innings and finally cashed in in the sixth inning after Olivia Owens singled and scored on a wild pitch to cut the Captains' lead to one, 3-2.
- CNU rallied in the bottom of the sixth, getting the bases loaded and then unloaded them with a grand slam to open the lead out to 7-2. They added another solo homer and two more runs in the inning to make it 10-2, as the Captains defeated RMC.
By the Numbers (Game 2):
- Olivia Owens extended her hit streak to 11 games with another hit in the game. She went 1-3 with a single and a run.
- Gracie Ellis had two hits in the game including a double.
- Kayla Davis got RMC on the board with a triple, her sixth extra base hit of the year and first triple.
Up Next:
Randolph-Macon will be back in action on Thursday for a midweek double header against Southern Virginia in Ashland beginning at 2:30 p.m.