Posted: May 19, 2023
ASHLAND, Va. --- The ninth-ranked Randolph-Macon softball team looked to bounce back against St. John Fisher on Friday afternoon in an elimination game. The Yellow Jackets topped the Cardinals in five innings to advance to play Ramapo in game three of the day, where they broke the tie late to win 5-2 to move to the regional final.
THE BASICS
- Scores: Game 1 - Randolph-Macon 11, St. John Fisher 3 | Game 2 - Randolph-Macon 5, Ramapo 2
- Location: Ashland, Va./Randolph-Macon College/RMC Softball Field
- Records: Randolph-Macon (40-9, 17-3 ODAC), St. John Fisher (28-13, 12-4 Empire 8), Ramapo (34-13-1, 13-4-1 NJAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
- The bats were alive early as Amanda Lanyon (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) and Naomi Sadler (Emporia, Va./Brunswick) led off the game with two straight bunt singles. Kayla Davis (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) doubled home a pair of runs to open the scoring. Jessica Pittman (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) singled two more runs in with one-out to make it 4-0. Two more runs came across in the inning to extend the lead to 6-0 after the top of the first.
- SJF answered back in the bottom of the first, blasting a three run homer with one out to cut the deficit in half, 6-3.
- The bats kept rolling in the top of the second. After a Kayla Davis walk, Olivia Owens (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett) hit a line drive to left that the left fielder couldn't handle, allowing Davis to score from first. Gracie Ellis (New Kent, Va./New Kent) followed it up with a squeeze play, bringing Owens home to make the score 8-3.
- Kayla Davis made loud contact again to open the fourth inning, hitting a solo home run to dead center field to extend the lead to 9-3.
- Rilee Baughan (Warsaw, Va./Rappahannock) doubled home Cameron Hildebrand (Fincastle, Va./James River), who singled to lead off the top of the fifth, with two outs. Kayla Davis had more heroics, reaching on an infield single that scored a second run of the inning, giving RMC an 11-3 lead.
BY THE NUMBERS (GAME 1)
- Kayla Davis had an incredible game at the plate, going 3-3 with a home run and a double. She scored three runs and drove in three as well. She also walked in the game.
- Jessica Pittman was a perfect 3-3 with two runs driven in and a run scored. Through two NCAA tournament games, Pittman is 5-5 at the plate.
- Amanda Lanyon went 2-2 with a double and a walk. She scored a run and drove in a run as well.
- Naomi Sadler also had a pair of hits in three at bats. She drove in a run and scored another.
- Gracie Ellis went four scoreless innings after the first inning home run, striking out seven batters across five innings of work. She also scored a run and drove in a run at the plate.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
- Amanda Lanyon began the top of the first with a double to left center. Naomi Sadler singled on a bunt and an errant throw allowed Lanyon to score to open the scoring. Olivia Owens ripped a two-out single through the left side to score Sadler from second to extend the lead to 2-0.
- Ramapo got on the board with a run in both the third and fourth innings to tie the game. Getting a two-out RBI double in the fourth.
- Rilee Baughan broke the tie in the fifth inning, following an Amanda Lanyon double with a two-run homer to give the Yellow Jackets a 4-2 lead.
- RMC loaded the bases with a Jessica Pittman single and a pair of walks. Rilee Baughan then walked to bring in an insurance run to extend the lead to 5-2 through six innings. Gracie Ellis shut down the Roadrunners in the seventh inning to finish the win and send RMC to the regional final.
BY THE NUMBERS (GAME 2)
- Amanda Lanyon had two hits for the second straight game while scoring two runs. Both of her hits were doubles.
- Naomi Sadler also had two hits in two straight games. She also walked once, scored a run, and stole a base.
- Rilee Baughan had the big hit, breaking a 2-2 tie with a two-run blast that put RMC ahead for good. She finished with three RBI.
- Olivia Owens picked up an RBI on her lone hit in the game, helping RMC jump ahead in the first inning.
UP NEXT: Randolph-Macon will play Swarthmore in the Regional Final tomorrow at noon in Ashland. Game two, if necessary, will be played directly after.