HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Eastern Mennonite softball team kicked off the 2023 season on Sunday with a home doubleheader against the Panthers of Pitt-Bradford.

In game one, EMU scored 12 runs in the second through fifth innings en route to a 12-8 win. Game two saw the Royals and Panthers tied at six before three runs in the fifth and sixth gave EMU a 9-6 win.

GAME ONE
Records: EMU 1-0, 0-0 ODAC | Pitt-Bradford 0-1, 0-0 AMCC
WP: Grace Fravel (1-0)
LP: Ashley Stein (1-0)
Sv: Kaitlyn Fletcher (1)

Highlights
• The Panthers took a 5-0 lead in the first two innings off Fravel before she settled down and worked out of the second, stranding runners on first and third.

• In the bottom of the second, Reese Rogers singled and Emerson Adkins reached on an error. Carsen Brake drove in Rogers for an RBI before Taylor Umberger reached on an error, loading the bases. Back-to-back walks to Madi Armentrout and Fletcher brought in a pair of runs and then Samantha Hensley’s double to right field drove in two more, tying things at five.

• In the third, the Panthers scored another, taking a 6-5 lead, before EMU responded in the bottom half. With runners on second and third, a Panther error allowed two runs to score, giving EMU the lead. Hensley then singled to center field, driving in another run and putting the Royals ahead 7-5.

• Fravel helped her cause with a solo shot in the fourth, Brake drove in a run and Hensley added two more RBI with a three-run homerun in the fifth.

• Fletcher came on to pitch in the sixth and worked a scoreless sixth and seventh to pick up the save.

Statistical Leaders
Hensley: 3-4, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, R
Fravel: 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, R
Brake, Fletcher – 2 hits each, 3 RBI

GAME TWO
Records: EMU 2-0, 0-0 ODAC | Pitt-Bradford 0-2, 0-0 ODAC
WP: Fletcher (1-0)
LP: Meghan Kapp (0-1)

Highlights
• This time it was EMU taking an early lead with a six-spot in the second inning. Fravel and Rogers both singled and Fravel scored on a Panther error. Rogers came around to score on Adkins’ single before back-to-back hits from Autumn Bailey and Umberger loaded the bases. A walk, an error and an RBI groundout gave EMU a 6-0 lead after two.

• Fletcher was cruising until she gave up three runs in the fourth and fifth, with Pitt-Bradford tying things at six apiece. But in the bottom of the fifth, EMU took the lead back on a Bailey RBI. They added two insurance runs in the sixth with Hensley scoring on a wild pitch and Rogers picking up a RBI groundout. Fletcher settled down after the fifth and held the Panthers scoreless over the final two innings to secure the win.

Statistical Leaders
Bailey: 2-3, RBI, R
Umberger: 2-3, R

What’s Next
EMU will be back on the field on Friday when they host Southern Virginia at Gehman Field for a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2 pm.

— EMU Athletics —