WINCHESTER, Va. –
Gracie Ellis (New Kent, Va./New Kent) broke the career strikeout record with her performance in game one of the doubleheader sweep over Shenandoah. Ellis also stayed perfect on the season with a 13-0 record and helped lead Randolph-Macon to a twelve game winning streak on the season.
The Basics:
Scores: #8 Randolph-Macon 6, Shenandoah 4 // #8 Randolph-Macon 6, Shenandoah 1
Location: Winchester, Va.//Shenandoah University//Rotary Field
Records: Randolph-Macon (22-2-2, 13-1 ODAC), Shenandoah (10-18, 2-12 ODAC)
How It Happened:
Game 1
- Shenandoah got on the board first in the second inning of game one, scoring one run to take an early lead. Paige Eagleton hit a two-out double into left center field and scored on a Kelly Hartman single up the middle.
- Ellis started the top of the third inning with a walk and moved over to second on a passed ball by the Hornets. Jordan Brown (Yorktown, Va./Tabb) continued her hot hitting at the plate with a single up the middle to bring home Ellis to tie up the game at 1-1. Amanda Lanyon (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) doubled home Brown in the following at-bat to give Randolph-Macon its first lead of the game. Kayla Davis (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) capped off the inning with a single down the right field line to plate Lanyon and give the Yellow Jackets a 3-1 lead after three innings.
- Hannah Martin (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) added another run for Randolph-Macon in the fourth inning by way of the long ball, hitting her first home run in her career. The round tripper gave the Yellow Jackets a 4-1 lead to go into the fifth inning.
- The Hornets did not quit as they got the bats hot again in the bottom of the sixth inning. Allison McQueeney started the inning off with an infield single and Brenna Westwood followed that up with a single up the middle. With runners at the corners with no outs Tiffany Bower doubled into deep center field to cash in both McQueeney and Westwood to pull Shenandoah within one run. Sarah Medellin tied up the game later in the inning with a sacrifice fly out to score Eliza Hunt that pinch ran for Bower, tying up the game at 4-4.
- Randolph-Macon saw both Brown and Naomi Sadler (Emporia, Va./Brunswick) walk to put the pressure on the Hornet defense with one out. Jacy Ramos (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette) was sent in to pinch run for Brown. The freshman and Sadler both moved into scoring position on another passed ball for Shenandoah. Ramos ended up scoring on a wild pitch during the at-bat of Rilee Baughan (Rappahannock, Va./Warsaw). Sadler crossed home adding an insurance run on a Davis infield single to put the Lemon and Black up 6-4.
- Ellis struck out two of the final three batters and sat down the Hornets in order to help grab Randolph-Macon its eleventh straight victory with a 6-4 comeback win over Shenandoah.
By The Numbers
- Davis ended the first game with three hits in four plate appearances to lead the Yellow Jacket offense. The junior also tallied two RBIs to be the most in the game for Randolph-Macon.
- Martin notched her first career home run to add to a two hit game with one RBI.
- Lanyon was credited with the other lone RBI with a double and a run scored.
- Ellis was the winning pitcher in the circle for the Yellow Jackets in seven complete innings. The junior is now 13-0 on the season and in game one she allowed four runs on six hits and fanned 12 batters.
How It Happened:
Game 2
- In game two, Shenandoah started with taking the lead first in the bottom of the first inning. McQueeney started the game reaching on a fielding error by the Yellow Jackets. She would later score on a wild pitch to give Shenandoah a 1-0 lead.
- Brown opened up the top half of the third inning with a single up the middle. Baughan sent a ball down the right field line to score Brown and double with two outs in the inning.
- In the fifth inning, Brown again opened up the inning by getting on base, this time drawing a walk. Baughan came through again with an RBI double off the center field wall to bring home Brown and give the Lemon and Black a 2-1 lead.
- Baughan gave up the one run in the first inning and held the Hornets scoreless for the next four innings. Shenandoah worked to get two runners into scoring position with one out in the fourth inning. Baughan worked out of danger and kept the Randolph-Macon lead intact.
- The Hornets threatened to score or take the lead again in the bottom of the sixth inning. Shenandoah had runners on the corners with only one out and Baughan clutched up again, working a pop out to third and an inning ending groundout.
- Randolph-Macon played station to station on the base paths in the top half of the seventh inning to grab four insurance runs. Brown, Lanyon and Sadler all began the inning with singles to load up the bases. Baughan recorded the fourth straight hit of the inning with another single to score Brown from third base. Owens hit a one out single to plate Sadler for the second run and Martin walked with the bases loaded to bring home Baughan. Reagan Hill (Hanover, Va./Hanover) singled home Owens for the final run of the inning and the Yellow Jackets mounted a 6-1 lead.
- Baughan ended the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with only allowing the Hornets to get one on base. Randolph-Macon won game two 6-1 and notched another sweep on the season.
By The Numbers
- Baughan got the complete game win in the circle for the Yellow Jackets. The senior notched her ninth win of the season, giving up one unearned run on five hits and struck out two batters. She also led Randolph-Macon at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two doubles.
- Owens ended the game with two hits and an RBI for the Lemon and Black.
- Martin and Hill both tallied an RBI in game two.
- Ellis, Brown and Lanyon all recorded multi-hit games to contribute to the offensive outburst.
For the Record
- Ellis ended the day with 599 career strikeouts to take over the top spot in the history of Yellow Jacket softball. The junior passed Candace Whittemore'19 for most strikeouts all-time with the win in the circle for the Yellow Jackets in game one.
Things to Watch
- Lanyon extended her hit streak to 21 straight games and also has extended her on-base streak to 27 straight games, dating back to last season. Both streaks are the longest in Yellow Jacket history for any player since the first season in 1999.
- Randolph-Macon extended its win streak to twelve in a row that dates back to March 26th in which softball tied to DePauw 6-6. The last time the Yellow Jackets dropped a game was on March 19th in a split with #12 Virginia Wesleyan to begin conference play.
Up Next
Randolph-Macon softball will head home to prepare to host Sweet Briar for a mid-week doubleheader on Tuesday, April 16 for a 3 p.m. ODAC doubleheader.
