ASHLAND, Va. – Freshman Candace Whittemore (Montpelier, Va./Patrick Henry) tossed a two-hit shutout in the opener with 11 strikeouts and sophomore Nelda Bagley (Kenbridge, Va./Central) fanned seven in going the distance in the nightcap as the Randolph-Macon softball team swept an ODAC doubleheader from Bridgewater Tuesday afternoon at the R-MC Softball Field.

The Yellow Jackets (18-6, 3-1 ODAC) took Game 1 by a score of 4-0 and won the second game 5-1 over the Eagles (4-16, 1-3 ODAC)

Whittemore (10-2) allowed two singles, one in the first and one in the fourth, and walked one. She struck out six straight from the final out in the fourth through the second out in the sixth. Whittemore had at least one strikeout in every inning but the third. She leads the ODAC with 78 strikeouts, 10 victories and 10 complete games.

R-MC started the scoring in the first inning in the opener. Senior Madison Gilman (Glen Allen, Va./Patrick Henry) had a two-out double and scored on a two-bagger by sophomore Skylar Toth (Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill) to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

The Yellow Jackets added to their lead in the fifth. Sophomore Brandi Mulvena (Farnham, Va./Rappahannock) had a leadoff single to right and moved to second when Gilman was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Toth. Senior Sierra Ford (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) reached on an error to lead the bases. Mulvena scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. Sophomore Harley Jones (Brodnax, Va./Brunswick) singled to plate Gilman and Ford scored on a groundout by junior Jen Balcom (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) to give R-MC a 4-0 lead.

In the nightcap, Bagley (7-4) scattered five hits and did not walk a batter while allowing one run.

R-MC scored in each of the first two innings. Freshman Diane McDaniel (Fauquier, Va./Liberty) drew a leadoff walk in the first and stole second. With one away, Gilman belted her sixth homer to give the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 lead. Gilman is tied for the lead in the ODAC with six dingers.

Sophomore Hayden Fontenot (Lexington, Va./Rockbridge) had a bunt single to start the second and was sacrificed to second by freshman Casey Abernethy (Prince George, Va./Prince George). Fontenot moved to third on a bunt single by McDaniel, who promptly stole second. A single by Mulvena drove in Fontenot to make it 2-0, and McDaniel was thrown out at home trying to score. Gilman brought home Mulvena with a base hit and Gilman scored on a double by Toth to give R-MC a 5-0 advantage.

Bagley retired the first 11 batters she faced, with seven strikeouts, three popouts and one groundout. BC had a bunt single and a double with two away in the fourth to make it 5-1.

The Eagles brought the tying run to the plate in the sixth, loading the bases with one away. Bagley induced a come-backer to start a 1-2-3 double play to snuff out the rally. Bagley retired BC in order in the seventh to secure the victory.

Gilman went 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBI for the victors.

Randolph-Macon returns to action on Thursday, March 31, with a home doubleheader against Mary Washington, beginning at 3 p,m,