College Softball Finals: Randolph-Macon 2, Guilford 0 / Guilford 5, Randolph 4 (ODAC Tournament)

SALEM, Va. – Guilford College held off a seventh-inning Randolph College rally to rebound from a Friday afternoon tournament-opening loss to Randolph-Macon College to advance to day two of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament at the Moyer Sports Complex. The fifth-seeded Quakers defeated the eighth-seeded WildCats, 5-4, in an elimination game after Guilford fell to the fourth-seed Yellow Jackets, 2-0, to open the day.

Guilford’s Courtney Lackey (6-2) and Randolph-Macon’s Nelda Bagley (14-2) were both engaged in a pitcher’s duel for most of the contest with the game’s only runs came in the bottom of the third inning when Randolph-Macon’s Katie Woody drove a single to right field with two outs before Lackey closed the door one at-bat later. One inning prior, Lackey held up the Jackets with the bases loaded when she struck out Skylar Toth swinging to avoid the jam.

Lackey struck out six batters and walked three in a complete-game effort as she contained the Yellow Jackets for the rest of the contest. Bagley struck out four and walked one in a five-hit effort in the complete-game victory.

Taylor Boyd was the lone Quaker with multiple-hits against Randolph-Macon (21-10), finishing 2-for-2. The top-third of the Guilford order claimed three of the team’s five hits.

The Quakers (24-16) rebounded against the WildCats (17-19) later in the day, jumping out to a five-run lead through six innings thanks to four WildCat errors. The Quakers took advantage of a one-out error to claim three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to create enough distance from the WildCats. A two-out fielding error one inning later gave the Quakers a much needed insurance run after Ashley Boteler knocked a pinch-hit single and the Quakers successful moved runners into scoring position.

Randolph’s Hunter Glave belted a three-run homer in the top of the seventh with two-outs to cap a four-run rally as Shaffer re-gained control and induced a ground out to end the game.

Rachel Howard provided two RBI in a 2-for-3 effort while Casey Snead came off the bench to produce a RBI-double into left center field her first at-bat in the bottom of the fifth frame.

Shaffer (7-5) struck out one and walked one as she claimed the complete-game elimination contest victory. Hannah Winfree (10-11) took the loss for the WildCats striking out three and walking two in a complete-game effort.

The Quakers look to continue in the ODAC Tournament, facing the third-seed Roanoke College for a 9 a.m. contest tomorrow morning in the third contest between the Quakers and Maroons this week.