(ASHLAND, Va.) – No. 19 Randolph-Macon couldn't have asked for a better Senior Day as it swept No. 8 Salisbury in a battle between a couple of the nation's best softball teams. The Yellow Jackets came from behind with a big offensive inning in the opener before walking off for the victory with more late game heroics in the nightcap.

The Basics

Score:  Game 1 – No. 19 Randolph-Macon 6, No. 8 Salisbury 2
Game 2 – No. 19 Randolph-Macon 4, No. 8 Salisbury 3

Venue: RMC Softball Field

Records: R-MC 14-7-1, SU 19-6

How It Happened (Game 1):

• Salisbury struck first in the top of the third when Abby Mace hit a two-out home run to left field. She provided the other run two frames later on a sac fly to score Kat Nashold. It would have scored more, but Shelby Hill (Sr., Mechanicsville, Va. / St. Margaret's) made a spectacular play at the fence by jumping up and making a leaping grab to rob the home run.
• The tables turned in the sixth inning as the Randolph-Macon bats came alive. With the bases loaded, Olivia Owens (Fr., Salisbury, Md./ James M. Bennett) singled through the left side to get the Jackets on the board as Bailey Hairfield (Fr., Chesterfield, Va. / Cosby) scored. On the next play Sami Davidson (Sr., Stafford, Va. / Brooke Point) gave the Jackets the lead with a single to right that brought in Ryleigh Elliott (Fr., Milton, Del. / Cape Henlopen) and Olivia Allen (Fr., Dinwiddie, Va. / Dinwiddie).
• After a pitching change, Macon continued to put on the pressure and added three more runs. Kamryn Steinruck (Sr., Glen Allen, Va. / Glen Allen) made it 4-2 as she laid down a perfect bunt that allowed Owens to score on the fielder's choice. Maddie Stone (Sr., Glen Allen, Va. / Glen Allen) followed with a single to center to bring in Davidson.
• Erin Doyle (Sr., Moseley, Va. / Cosby) got in on the action two batters later on another bases loaded hit with a single through the left side for the final run.
• Madie Rhoads (Sr., Portsmouth, Va. / Nansemond River) retired the side in order with a strikeout and a pair of infield pop-ups to pick up the win.

Inside The Numbers (Game 1):

• Six of the nine Yellow Jackets hit came in the sixth inning. Five of them were from seniors. Five of the six RBI in the inning were also brought in by seniors.
• Seniors provided seven of the nine hits in the game.
• Rhoads had one of them to help her own cause. It was her second hit of the season. She likely would have had three with a pair of liners up the middle, but the Salisbury pitcher made incredible plays on both. Rhoads improved to 7-4 with five strikeouts on the day.

How It Happened (Game 2):

• As with the opener, Salisbury was first to light up the scoreboard and did so in the first. Mace scored on a bunt in the first and added two more with her second home run of the day, this time to right center, in the second inning.
• As with the opener, the Jackets rallied to win the game. The momentum started to swing win Rilee Baughan (So., Warsaw, Va. / Rappahannock) belted her second home run of the season. Stone scored on the round trip after opening up the frame getting hit by a pitch.
• More senior heroics came in the seventh as Stone scored by way of Ali Celiberti (Sr., Powhatan, Va. / Powhatan) who hit a sac fly to left.
• Two batters later Owens singled down the left field line to score Madison McLaughlin (Fr., Mechanicsville, Va. / Lee Davis) for the walk-off win.

Inside The Numbers (Game 2):

• Owens finished the day 4-for-7 with two RBI and a run scored playing against the college from her hometown.
• Baughan went 2-for-2 in Game 2 with two RBI and two walks as the No. 2 hitter.
• Celiberti recorded the win to improve to 7-3.

Up Next

The Jackets are on the road for the next six games. The first two of those will come Tuesday when they travel to Bridgewater.