JOHNSON CITY, TENN. – The Emory & Henry University Softball Team (1-1, 0-0 SAC) began their season at the Big Region Preseason Invitational. The Wasps went 1-1 on the day with a run rule loss to Glenville State, but rallied in game 2 to defeat the Concord Mountain Lions by a 15-7 margin.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Emory & Henry 0, Glenville State 9 (five innings)
GAME TWO – Emory & Henry 15, Concord 7 (six innings)
LOCATION – Johnson City, Tennessee
VENUE – James K Ellis Softball Complex
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (1-1, 0-0 SAC); Glenville State (1-1, 0-0 MEC); Concord (0-1, 0-0 MEC)
Game One – Emory & Henry 0, Glenville State 9
Glenville State got on the board in the bottom of the 1st inning with a 2 RBI Single up the middle. The Wasps' bats got going in the top of the 2nd inning when shortstop Sawyer Tolley (Bedford, Va.) doubled to left field. Tolley moved up to scoring position off of a deep fly ball to right field from Liberty Johnson (Arvonia, Va.), but that would be as far as she would get as the third out came one batter later.
The Pioneers put 3 more runs on the board in the bottom of the 2nd with three straight singles, all to different parts of the outfield. Karsen Simpson (Salisbury, N.C.) singled up the middle to begin the Wasp half of the 3rd inning, Simpson advanced to third base when Rachel Hill (Stanardsville, Va.) doubled, E&H's offense stalled and the inning would end.
Emory & Henry's defense kept the Pioneers bats in check in the 4th inning, with popouts to 2nd base, shortstop, and a line out to short. The Wasps managed one more hit in the top of the 5th from Kali Cook (Elkin, N.C.), but that would be all they would get as Glenville State sent across 3 more runs in the bottom of the 5th to win the game by run rule 8-0.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 15, Concord 7 (six innings)
The Emory & Henry bats came alive in the second game of the doubleheader against Concord, the Wasps got on the board first when Senior Abigail Street (Glade Spring, Va.) scored on an error. Concord knotted the contest at 1 in their half of the inning on a sacrifice fly. 3 runs came across for E&H in the top of the 2nd, Rachel Hill had a 2 RBI double followed by RBI doubles from Hannah Booth (Longwood, Fla.) and Tristyn Tofano (Roanoke, Va.), the score stood at 5-1 after 2.
E&H continued to send runs across home plate with 2 more runs coming off an RBI single from Laila Rodriguez (Virginia Beach, Va.) who would later score from a wild pitch. Concord tried to mount a comeback in the middle innings, pushing across 5 runs in the 3rd and 4th.
The Wasps erased all doubt in the top of the 5th inning, Greenly Elliott (Danville, Va.), Kylie Cundiff (Roanoke, Va.), and Laila Rodriguez loaded the bases. Elliot would score on a sacrifice fly from Abigail Street, Cundiff scored on another RBI single for Rachel Hill, and Rodriguez would come across on an error. The Wasps weren't finished yet, just two batters later Sawyer Tolley blasted a ball over the outfield fence for a 3-run homerun that saw the lead balloon to 14-6.
Concord would score one more run in the bottom of the 5th, and the Wasps added another run in the top of the 6th for the run rule victory at 15-7.
Up Next
Emory & Henry will be back in action tomorrow February 9th for the conclusion of the Big Region Preseason Invitational. The games will be at 2PM and 4PM against Converse and King (Tenn.).
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