SALEM, Va. - Sophomore Christine Simon (Richmond, Va./James River) belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth as fourth-seeded Randolph-Macon outlasted No. 5 Eastern Mennonite 9-7 in the first round of the ODAC Championship.

The Yellow Jackets (23-10) will face top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the second round of the double-elimination tournament.

The Royals (17-17-1) scored a run in the top of the eighth to take a 7-6 advantage. With sophomore Jenna Best (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) on second to start the bottom of the eighth, freshman Katie Lockett (Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) singled to left with one away to move Best to third. Simon belted a homer down the right field line, her third of the season, to give the Yellow Jackets their fifth straight victory.

The home run by Simon gave her 55 hits for the year, a program record for hits in a season. Sophomore Madison Gilman (Glen Allen, Va./Patrick Henry) held the previous record of 54, set in 2013.

R-MC was one out way from losing the game in regulation. Following a rain delay of more than five hours, EMU erased a 4-3 deficit with one in the sixth and a pair in the top of the seventh for a 6-4 advantage. With two away in the bottom of the seventh, junior Sharese Jarvis (Cobbs Creek, Va./Mathews) singled up the middle and sophomore Katie Woody (Ashland, Va./Patrick Henry) whacked a home run to center field to knot the score at 6-6.

Woody had an RBI double in the second as R-MC tied the game at 1-1. The Royals took a 3-1 lead in the third before Best homered in the fourth with two away, her fifth, to pull the Yellow Jackets within one. sophomore Sam Moore (Ashland, Va./Patrick Henry) had a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Simon scored on a wild pitch later in the frame to give R-MC its first lead at 4-3.

Freshman Kelsey McLaughlin (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) went the distance to earn the win, hurling eight innings with 11 hits, seven runs (five earned), three walks and three strikeouts to raise her record to 13-5.