VIRGINIA WESLEYAN STAYS ALIVE IN ODAC SOFTBALL TOURNEY WITH 6-4 COMEBACK WIN OVER GUILFORD

 

            Salem, VA ? Becky Sowell's two-out, two-run single sparked Virginia Wesleyan?s three-run fifth inning and helped the Marlins rally for a 6-4 win over Guilford in the consolation round of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Softball Tournament Saturday at the Moyer Complex. The win came in the third-seeded Marlins? (22-12-1) third straight game of the day.

 

            Virginia Wesleyan advanced to the tournament?s eighth game Sunday at noon against either Lynchburg or Roanoke . Saturday's second loss eliminated the fourth-seeded Quakers from the tournament and ends their season with a 16-24 overall record. Bridgewater needed eight innings to beat the Quakers, 4-3, in the tourney's first game.

 

            Guilford took a 2-0 lead on a leadoff homer by Jennifer Franklin followed a Carla Cain dinger one out later. The Marlins tied the game in the third on Brianna Strain?s two-run double. Ashley Cooke's RBI single in the bottom of the third scored Franklin and gave the Quakers a 3-2 edge.

 

            Guilford starter Jennifer Evans (6-11) worked out of a fourth-inning jam that saw the Marlins get runners on second and third with one out. Evans ran into trouble in the fifth despite getting the first two batters out. After a two-out single by Kim Mulholland, the Marlins took advantage of a passed ball and a Guilford error to set up Sowell?s decisive hit. Cara Byrd plated Sowell with her third single of the game for a 5-3 Marlins? lead.

 

            The Quakers pulled to within 5-4 with an unearned run in the sixth inning, but the Marlins answered with an unearned run of their own in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Sowell. Sowell relieved Cris Long on the mound in the bottom of the seventh and earned her first save of the season. She allowed two Quakers to reach base before retiring Jennifer King and Kendra Harvey on strikeouts to end the game.

 

            Virginia Wesleyan played three straight games due to a scheduling quirk caused by the postponement of Friday?s games. The Marlins opened the day with a 6-5 win over Emory & Henry in eight innings, which sent them right into a game with second-seeded Lynchburg . The Hornets prevailed, 4-0, which dropped Virginia Wesleyan into the consolation bracket and the Guilford game.

 




Virginia Wesleyan vs Guilford (Apr 23, 2005)


Box score (NCAA)

                         2005 ODAC Softball Tournament
                         Virginia Wesleyan at Guilford
                   Apr 23, 2005 at Salem, VA (Moyer Complex)

Virginia Wesleyan 6 (22-12-1)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Marsh rf...........  4  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Jennifer Thomas rf......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Allison Cockrell cf......  4  1  2  0   0  0  0  0   0
Kim Mulholland 1b........  4  1  2  0   0  0  7  2   2
Brianna Strain 3b........  4  2  1  2   0  0  0  2   1
Becky Sowell dp/p........  4  1  2  3   0  0  0  0   0
 Meagan Ptucha pr........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Cara Byrd ss.............  3  0  3  1   0  0  2  3   0
Tanya Garbati p..........  2  0  0  0   1  1  1  0   1
 Cris Long p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 Jessica Shepherd ph/c...  1  0  0  0   0  0  3  0   0
Amanda Jennings lf.......  3  0  0  0   1  1  0  0   2
Barbara Mullins 2b.......  3  0  0  0   0  2  4  1   2
Sara Northam c/dp........  0  0  0  0   0  0  4  1   0
Totals................... 32  6 10  6   2  4 21 10   8

Guilford 4 (16-24)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Jennifer Franklin cf.....  3  2  2  1   0  0  2  0   0
Hawi Hall 3b/1b..........  3  0  2  0   0  0  4  3   2
Carla Cain 2b/ss.........  4  1  1  1   0  1  1  1   2
Ashley Cooke c...........  4  0  1  1   0  2  3  2   0
Christi Dunnigan dp/p....  3  0  1  0   1  0  0  0   0
Rhonda Rogers ss/3b......  4  0  1  0   0  1  1  0   3
Jennifer King 1b/rf......  3  1  1  0   1  1  5  0   0
Kendra Harvey lf.........  4  0  0  0   0  1  1  1   2
Jennifer Evans p/2b......  2  0  0  0   0  0  2  0   1
 Rebecca Marshall 2b.....  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0
Cara Pattillo rf/dp......  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
Totals................... 31  4  9  3   2  6 21  8  10

Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Virginia Wesleyan... 002 030 1 -  6 10  4
Guilford............ 201 001 0 -  4  9  3
-----------------------------------------

E - Byrd 2; Long; Northam; Hall; King; Evans. LOB - Marlins 8; Quakers 10.
2B - Strain; Franklin. HR - Franklin; Cain. HBP - Franklin. SH - Byrd; Hall.
SB - Strain 2; King. CS - Hall.

Virginia Wesleyan      IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Tanya Garbati.......  4.0  6  3  2  1  3 17 20
Cris Long...........  2.0  2  1  0  0  1 10 10
Becky Sowell........  1.0  1  0  0  1  2  4  5

Guilford               IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Jennifer Evans......  4.2  8  5  1  1  2 23 24
Christi Dunnigan....  2.1  2  1  0  1  2  9 11

Win - Garbati (7-2).  Loss - Evans (6-11).  Save - Sowell (1).
WP - Long; Evans 3. HBP - by Garbati (Franklin). PB - Northam 2; Cooke 2.
Inherited runners/scored: Dunnigan 1/0.
Umpires -
Start: 2:45 pm   Time: 1:50   Attendance: 123
Game: VWC-GC3
Game notes:
Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament Game 6. Guilford is eliminated
with its second loss.  Va. Wesleyan advances to play Sunday at 12:00.
Becky Sowell's 2-run double with 2 out in the 6th gave VWC the lead.
Cara Byrd followed with an RBI single in the 6th.


Play-by-Play

                         2005 ODAC Softball Tournament
                  Virginia Wesleyan at Guilford - Play-by-Play
                   Apr 23, 2005 at Salem, VA (Moyer Complex)


Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Virginia Wesleyan... 002 030 1 -  6 10  4
Guilford............ 201 001 0 -  4  9  3
-----------------------------------------

Virginia Wesleyan starters: 1/rf Marsh; 23/cf Cockrell; 16/1b Mulholland;
   11/3b Strain; 14/dp Sowell; 20/ss Byrd; 12/p Garbati; 3/lf Jennings; 5/2b
   Mullins; 2/c Northam;

Guilford starters: 24/cf Franklin; 14/3b Hall; 9/2b Cain; 22/c Cooke; 15/dp
   Dunnigan; 3/ss Rogers; 2/1b King; 11/lf Harvey; 8/p Evans; 5/rf Pattillo;

   Virginia Wesleyan - inning 1

   Marsh flied out to 3b. Cockrell flied out to cf. Mulholland singled.
   Strain grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Guilford - inning 1

   Franklin homered, RBI. Hall singled. Hall out at second c to ss, caught
   stealing. Cain homered, RBI. Cooke struck out swinging. Dunnigan flied
   out to p. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Virginia Wesleyan - inning 2

   Sowell grounded out to 3b. Byrd singled. Byrd advanced to second on a
   passed ball. Garbati popped up to p. Byrd advanced to third on a wild
   pitch. Jennings grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Guilford - inning 2

   Rogers struck out swinging. King flied out to ss. Harvey reached on an
   error by ss. Evans out at first 1b to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Virginia Wesleyan - inning 3

   Mullins struck out looking. Marsh reached on an error by p. Cockrell
   singled; Marsh advanced to second. Mulholland flied out to rf. Strain
   doubled, out at third lf to c to 3b, 2 RBI; Cockrell scored, unearned;
   Marsh scored, unearned. 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.

Guilford - inning 3

   Franklin hit by pitch. Hall out at first 1b to 2b, SAC, bunt; Franklin
   advanced to second. Cain struck out. Franklin advanced to third on a
   passed ball. Cooke singled, RBI; Franklin scored, unearned. Dunnigan
   singled; Cooke advanced to second on an error by c. Cooke advanced to
   third. Rogers grounded out to 3b. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.

Virginia Wesleyan - inning 4

   Sowell popped up to 1b. Byrd singled. Garbati walked; Byrd advanced to
   second. Garbati advanced to second on a wild pitch; Byrd advanced to
   third. Jennings struck out, reached first on a passed ball; Garbati
   advanced to third; Byrd out at home c to p. Mullins flied out to lf. 0
   runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Guilford - inning 4

   King walked. Harvey reached on a fielder's choice; King out at second ss
   to 2b. Evans reached on a fielder's choice; Harvey out at second ss to
   2b. Franklin doubled; Evans advanced to third. Hall grounded out to 2b. 0
   runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Virginia Wesleyan - inning 5

   Marsh lined out to 3b. Cockrell popped up to 2b. Mulholland singled.
   Mulholland advanced to second on a wild pitch. Strain reached on an error
   by 1b; Mulholland advanced to third. Strain stole second. Sowell singled,
   advanced to second, 2 RBI; Strain scored, unearned; Mulholland scored,
   unearned. Byrd singled, RBI; Sowell scored. Hall to 1b. Cain to ss.
   Dunnigan to p. Rogers to 3b. King to rf. Evans to 2b. Pattillo to dp.
   Garbati struck out. 3 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Guilford - inning 5

   Long to p for Garbati. Cain reached on an error by ss. Cain advanced to
   second on a wild pitch. Cooke struck out swinging. Dunnigan grounded out
   to ss; Cain advanced to third. Rogers grounded out to p. 0 runs, 0 hits,
   1 error, 1 LOB.

Virginia Wesleyan - inning 6

   Marshall to 2b for Evans. Jennings walked. Mullins struck out. Marsh
   popped up to 3b. Cockrell singled; Jennings advanced to second.
   Mulholland flied out to rf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Guilford - inning 6

   Thomas to rf for Marsh. King singled. King stole second. King advanced to
   third on a passed ball. Harvey popped up to 1b. Marshall reached on an
   error by p; King scored, unearned. Franklin grounded out to 1b
   unassisted; Marshall advanced to second. Hall singled, advanced to
   second; Marshall advanced to third. Cain grounded out to 3b. 1 run, 2
   hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.

Virginia Wesleyan - inning 7

   Strain reached on an error by 1b. Strain stole second. Sowell singled,
   RBI; Strain scored, unearned. Ptucha pinch ran for Sowell. Byrd out at
   first 1b to 2b, SAC; Ptucha advanced to second. Shepherd pinch hit for
   Long. Shepherd flied out to cf. Jennings grounded out to 2b. 1 run, 1
   hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Guilford - inning 7

   Sowell to p for Ptucha. Shepherd to c. Northam to dp. Cooke popped up to
   c. Dunnigan walked. Rogers singled; Dunnigan advanced to second. King
   struck out looking. Harvey struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors,
   2 LOB.