(COLUMBUS, Ga.) – It was a big day for the Randolph-Macon softball team as it swept a pair of nationally ranked teams in No. 15 St. John Fisher and No. 14 Piedmont. Gracie Ellis (Fr., New Kent, Va. / New Kent) continued her phenomenal start to her collegiate career by recording the win in both games and striking out a combined 23 batters on the day.

The Basics

Scores – Game 1: Randolph-Macon 7, No. 15 St. John Fisher 3
Game 2: Randolph-Macon 7, No. 14 Piedmont 0

Venue: Nemrod Kendrick Field / South Commons

Records: Randolph-Macon 8-1
No. 15 St. John Fisher 0-3
No. 14 Piedmont 6-7

How It Happened (Game 1)

• The opener saw the Lemon and Black open up with a pair of runs in the first inning. Olivia Owens (So., Salisbury, Md. / James M. Bennett) lit up the scoreboard the first time when she brought in Amanda Lanyon (Fr., Midlothian, Va. / Midlothian) on a triple to right center. She later scored on a fielder's choice by Rilee Baughan (Jr., Warsaw, Va. / Rappahannock). The Yellow Jackets made it 3-0 in the third as Jessica Pittman (Jr., Virginia Beach, Va. / Kempsville) singled to right to bring in Naomi Sadler (Fr., Emporia, Va. / Brunswick).
• The Cardinals rallied to tie the game in the middle frames with a pair in the second and the third in the fifth. That prompted a pitching change in which Ellis entered the game and promptly struck out the next three batters.
• Back at the plate, R-MC had its biggest inning of the day in the bottom of the frame. Sami Davidson (Sr., Stafford, Va. / Brooke Point) got the wheels rolling with a double to right center that brought in Ellis. In the next at-bat Pittman brought her in after Davidson advanced on a wild pitch.
• Pittman eventually scored two batters later on a single to right by Lanyon. A sac fly by Owens set up the final score as Cameron Hildebrand (Jr., Fincastle, Va. / James River) scored.
• Ellis had little trouble the rest of the way as she got the leadoff batter in the sixth to fly out to center and struck out the final five Cardinals hitters.

How It Happened (Game 2)

• In the second game, Ellis got the job from the plate just as much as she did in the circle. Her single in the top of the first brought in Owens and gave the Jackets a quick 1-0 lead.
• It ended up being all that she would need, but the Jackets were able to cushion their lead on a couple of three-run frames. The first time occurred in the fifth as Baughan doubled in a pair with Aryanna Prymak (Fr., Woodbridge, Va. / Woodbridge) and Owens crossing the plate. Ellis again helped her own cause as her single allowed Baughan to score.
• Baughan and Ellis both added their third RBI of the game in the seventh with a pair of base hits. Chloe Rose (Fr., Midlothian, Va. / James River) provided the final run as Baughan scored on her single.
• On the opposite end, Ellis didn't allow Piedmont much of a chance and shut down the Lions' bats with 15 strikeouts.

Inside The Numbers

• Of the 10 innings pitched on the day, Ellis recorded three strikeouts in five of them. In the second game, she went the distance with a three-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against one walk to improve to 6-1 on the season.
• Ellis' 15 strikeouts equal the most by any pitcher in a single game this season in Division III. Ellis leads the nation with 73 strikeouts in just seven appearances and is tied for the most shutouts in the nation with three.
• From the plate Ellis equaled the amount of hits she gave up as she went 3-for-4 in Game 2.
• Baughan has hit safely in every game this season and currently has a 10-game hit streak dating back to last season. Four of those games have been multiple hit games. She also has a five game RBI streak with eight during that stretch.

Up Next

Another ranked team awaits the Lemon and Black tomorrow with No. 16 Trine. R-MC will also play MIT tomorrow as well.