HARRISONBURG, Va. (EMU Athletics) – EMU softball wrapped up the 2025 season on Saturday, celebrating their four seniors, Gracie Conner, Emerson Adkins, Grace Fravel and Natalye Graham, in the process.

The Royals had lots more to celebrate as well, as they ended their season with a pair of wins, taking down Randolph 10-9 in eight innings in game one, and following that up with an 8-2 win in game two.

EMU vs Randolph – Game One

Records: EMU 12-24-1, 5-16 ODAC | Randolph 8-29, 7-14 ODAC

WP: Graham (7-12)
LP: Rylee Humble (2-6)

Highlights

First Inning
• After Graham sat the WildCats down in order in the first, EMU was able to take a 2-0 lead. Meaghan Dean reached on a fielder’s choice, giving Randolph two outs. Destiny Jones followed that up with a walk, and Maggie Mayhew doubled to center, plating both and giving EMU an early advantage.
Second Through Fifth Innings
• Randolph was able to put single runs across in each of the second through fourth innings, and two in the fifth, eventually taking a 5-2 lead.
• In the bottom of the fifth, EMU’s bats responded, as Conner walked and Adkins doubled, putting runners at second and third. Fravel followed that up with a double of her own, scoring a pair and pulling EMU within one, 5-4.
• Allana Overby singled to left-center, sending Fravel to third and Dean drove her in with an RBI single. Overby advanced to third on a fly out and came in to score on a wild pitch, giving the Royals a 6-5 lead.
Sixth Inning
• Madee Arbaugh led off the sixth with a double and came in to score on Conner’s sac bunt, where she reached on an error. After another sac bunt put Conner on second, Fravel reached on an error, putting runners on first and second.
• Overby reached on another WildCat error, as Conner scored and gave the Royals an 8-5 lead heading to the seventh.
Seventh Inning
• Randolph was able to push across three runs in their half of the seventh, using two runs and an EMU error to tie things at eight and force extra innings.
Eighth Inning
• In the top of the eighth, with the ghost runner placed at second to start the frame, the WildCats used a single and an error to score a run, and take a 9-8 lead.
• Conner started the bottom of the inning on second, and came around to score on an incredible bunt single by Braxten Jones, when she pushed a bunt to second base, where nobody was covering.
• Fravel singled to left, putting B. Jones on second, and she advanced to third on Overby’s sac bunt. Dean followed that up with a grounder back to the pitcher, who tried to get Fravel leaning off third. When that didn’t work, the third baseman tried to throw Dean out at first, and her throw was errant, allowing Fravel to score the walkoff run.

Statistical Leaders
Fravel: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Mayhew: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Graham: 8.0 IP, 12 H, 4 ER, 5 K

EMU vs Randolph – Game Two

Records: EMU 13-24-1, 6-16 ODAC | Randolph 8-30, 7-15 ODAC

WP: Haley Lambert (5-7)
LP: Austyn Moran (4-11)

Highlights

First Inning
• This time it was the WildCats taking an early lead, using four singles and an RBI ground out, to take a 2-0 lead after one.
Second Inning
• EMU put runners on first and second with a pair of walks in the bottom of the second. After a fielder’s choice gave Randolph two outs, Brooke Morris tripled to right-center, driving in Arbaugh and B. Jones, to tie things at two.
• Fravel followed that up with a single up the middle, scoring Morris and putting the Royals ahead 3-2.
Fourth Inning
• EMU’s offense exploded in the fourth, as four straight base hits from Conner, Morris, Fravel and Overby, scored two runs and pushed EMU’s lead to 5-2. Dean walked to load the bases and D. Jones plated a pair with a two-RBI single up the middle, for a 7-2 lead.
• Mayhew wrapped up the scoring for the Royals, when her sac bunt plated Aspen Jones and put EMU ahead 8-2.
Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Innings
• Lambert continued to cruise, giving up just a single in the top of the fifth. She was replaced by Graham in the sixth, for the senior to get the final six outs of the game. She did just that, giving up a trio of hits, but keeping the WildCats off the board. A fly out double-play ended the game, and secured the Saturday sweep for the Royals.

Statistical Leaders
Morris: 3-3, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Fravel: 2-3, 2 RBI, R
D. Jones: 2-4, 2 RBI
Lambert: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 K

What’s Next
This wraps up the season for the Royals, but they have a lot to look forward to for 2026. They’ll return three of their infielders and all three starting outfielders, along with Lambert in the circle and two of their catchers.

— EMU Athletics —