BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 24th – ranked Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets defeated #3 Virginia Wesleyan by a score of 6-2 to move into the National Semifinal winner-take-all game of the Division III College Softball World Series. The Marlins defeated the Lemon and Black in game two, as RMC finished in third place of the national tournament. 
    
The Basics

Score: #24 Randolph-Macon 6, #3 Virginia Wesleyan 2 // #24 Randolph-Macon 1, #3 Virginia Wesleyan 3  
Location: Bloomington, Ill. // Illinois Wesleyan University // Inspiration Field
Records: Randolph-Macon: 42-14 // Virginia Wesleyan: 49-4-1

How It Happened

Game 1:

• The Yellow Jackets started the bats early in the game with Naomi Sadler (Emporia, Va./Brunswick) and Kayla Davis (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) both hitting singles. Charlotte Boswell (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) hit the third straight single into left field to score Sadler and give Randolph-Macon a 1-0 lead. Reagan Hill (Hanover, Va./Hanover) stood up to the moment, launching a three-run homer over the left field fence to score Hannah Martin (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) who pinch ran for Davis and Boswell. The Marlins walked Blayne Talley (Richmond, Va./Cosby), Tori Powell (Freeman, Va./Mecklenburg County) and Gracie Ellis (New Kent, Va./New Kent) to load up the bases with one out. Jacy Ramos (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette) knocked in Talley with a single into right field and Amanda Lanyon (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) scored Powell to mount a 6-0 lead. 
• Virginia Wesleyan got a run back in the bottom half of the first inning. Mackenzie Myers scored Sarah Prosser that led off the game with a double. Ellis limited the damage to one run to keep the lead at 6-1 for the Lemon and Black. 
• In the second inning, Olivia Knight led off the inning with solo home run for the Marlins to cut into the Randolph-Macon lead at 6-2. 
• In the final six innings, Ellis only allowed two Virginia Wesleyan batters to reach base to hold the lead for the Yellow Jackets. Randolph-Macon used the six run first inning to carry them to a 6-2 win in the National Semifinals.  

By The Numbers

• Ellis started the game for the Lemon and Black, tossing a complete seven inning shutout, giving up two runs on three hits. The senior also struck out eight batters in the third elimination game of the Lemon and Black.
• Hill led the offense with her three run bomb in the first inning to add to her two hit game. 
• Boswell recorded a multi-hit game for the Yellow Jackets and ended the game with an RBI and a run scored. 
• Lanyon and Ramos both had RBIs in the huge first inning for Randolph-Macon. 
• Ellis, Davis and Sadler all had a hit in the game. 
• Talley and Powell each walked and scored once. 

How It Happened

Game 2:

• In the fourth inning, Samantha Deitsch singled up the middle and stole second with one out. Olivia Knight walked to put two runners on base in the inning for the Marlins. Joslyn Woodard singled into left field to plate Deitsch to push Virginia Wesleyan into the lead. Sarah Prosser had the big hit in the inning with a double to score Knight and Woodard, extending the Marlins lead to 3-0. 
• Lanyon kept Randolph-Macon in the game with a solo shot in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 3-1. 
• Boswell started the seventh inning off with a double off the center field wall to bring the tying run to the plate. Talley hit a towering fly ball to left field and was feet away from tying up the game for the Lemon and Black. Virginia Wesleyan recorded the final out to take the game 3-1.  

By The Numbers

• Ellis started the game for the Lemon and Black, tossing a complete seven innings, giving up three runs on ten hits. The senior also struck out five batters in the fourth elimination game of the Lemon and Black.
• Lanyon led the offense with her homer in the sixth inning. 
• Boswell and Hill both recorded hits for the Lemon and Black. 

For the Record

• The Yellow Jackets finished as the third place team in the nation at the conclusion of the season with a 42-14 record. 
• The win in the first game tied the programs record for most wins in a season at 42, as the 2023 team also won 42 games two years ago. 
• Gracie Ellis finished as the program leader in appearances (130), wins (95), saves (9), strikeouts (959), earned run-average (1.23) and shutouts (41)
• Amanda Lanyon finished as the program leader in at-bats (661), runs scored (176), hits (253), doubles (57), total bases (366) and stolen bases (121). 
• Naomi Sadler finished as the program leader in walks with 73.
• Lanyon, Sadler and Davis all finished as the top three in career at-bats and hits.    

Press Conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-moiSRgGx84

Up Next

This is the conclusion of the 2025 season