HARRISONBURG, Va.—Senior Madison Gilman (Glen Allen, Va. / Patrick Henry) reached base eight times including going 5-5 with a home run and a pair of singles and doubles on the day as the Randolph-Macon softball team dropped two games to Eastern Mennonite in ODAC action Tuesday afternoon.

The Yellow Jackets (24-10, 7-5 ODAC) scored three in the top of the first of Game 1. Sophomore Brandi Mulvena (Farnham, Va. / Rappahannock) hit a leadoff double and scored on a double from Gilman. Gilman moved to third on a single from senior Sierra Ford (Powhatan, Va. / Powhatan). Ford advanced to second before senior Harley Jones (Brodnax, Va. / Brunswick) brought both runners home with a single to left field to put R-MC ahead 3-0.

The Royals (23-9, 10-4 ODAC) added four runs in the bottom of the frame before expanding their lead to 5-3 with one run in the third. EMU threatened with the bases loaded and none away in the fourth before the Yellow Jackets picked off the next three batters to escape unscathed.

Freshman Candace Whittemore (Montpelier, Va. / Patrick Henry) hit her first home run of the year in the fifth to cut EMU's lead to one run at 5-4.

The Royals stranded runners on the corners in the fifth, allowing R-MC to regain the lead in the sixth.

Jones hit a leadoff double and scored on a single from junior Jen Balcom (Powhatan, Va. / Powhatan). Sophomore Hayden Fontenot (Lexington, Va. / Rockbridge) reached on a fielding error and advanced to second. Fontenot was sacrificed to third by freshman Casey Abernethy (Prince George, Va. / Prince George) before scoring on a single by sophomore Skylar Toth (Midlothian, Va. / Clover Hill) to put R-MC ahead, 6-5.

After a 1-2-3 sixth for the Royals, Gilman walked and was sacrificed to second before scoring on a Balcom single to make it 7-5 in favor of the visitors.

The Royals scored three runs in the seventh to claim the 8-7 win.

Gilman went 2-2 with a double and a homerun in Game 1.

Mulvena walked to start the first and advanced to third on a double from Gilman. She was brought home on a sacrifice fly from Ford to put R-MC ahead 1-0.

The Royals stranded three in the bottom of the third as the Yellow Jackets kept their lead.

In the top of the next frame, Jones hit a leadoff homerun to give R-MC a 2-0 advantage. The Royals responded with a two-run homer in the fourth to erase the Yellow Jacket lead and knot the game at 2-2.

Gilman homered to left field in the fifth to put R-MC ahead 3-2. The Royals added the tying run in the sixth.

With two away in the top of the seventh, Mulvena tripled and scored on a wild pitch to give R-MC a 4-3 lead but the Royals would add four runs in the bottom of the frame to take Game 1 by a score of 7-4.

Randolph-Macon returns to action at home on Saturday, April 16 at 1:30 p.m. against Guilford.

--R-MC Sports Information--