All of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s ODAC-sponsored sports were represented on the All-Academic Team.Ìý Men’s volleyball competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference and is not eligible for the ODAC team.

The ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the eighth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fifth year in a row.Ìý With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only and Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only), 1,558 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2013-14 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.Ìý He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet atÌý. ÌýDon’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC onÌýÌýand followÌýÌýon Twitter.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.ÌýÌý

91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s ODAC All-Academic Team
Elizabeth Alderfer – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Volleyball
Jordan Aylor – Softball
Becky Barrett – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Tyler Brenneman – Men’s Soccer
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Lauren Campbell – Softball
McKenna Carter – Women’s Volleyball
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Robert Cook – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Hannah Daley – Field Hockey
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Paige DeBell – Field Hockey
Tyler Denlinger – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Katie Eckman – Women’s Cross Country
Mariah Foltz – Softball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Erica Garber – Women’s Track & Field
Carlos Garcia – Men’s Track & Field
Abi Gardner – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Joe Hall – Baseball
Rebecca Hardy – Women’s Volleyball
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Morgan Hill – Women’s Soccer
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Brendan Jeschke – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Viktor Kaltenstein – Men’s Soccer
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Louise Krall – Field Hockey
Lanae Kreider – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Landis – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jordan Leaman – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Jake Lind – Men’s Soccer
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Mariah Martin – Field Hockey
Tim Martin – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dilmer Martinez – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Brad Matthias – Baseball
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Macson McGuigan – Men’s Soccer
Chris Miller – Men’s Track & Field
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Nisly – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Ian Norris – Baseball
Nora Osei – Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball
Jolee Paden – Women’s Cross Country
Jesse Parker – Men’s Cross Country
Hannah Patterson – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dylan Polley – Men’s Soccer
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
D Probst – Women’s Volleyball
Casey Racer – Softball
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Krista Rittenhouse – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kyle Salladay – Baseball
Juni Schirch – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Caleb Schlabach – Men’s Golf
Chanel Shands – Women’s Basketball
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Molly Smith – Softball
Nicole Smith – Softball
Ashten Spencer – Women’s Soccer
Mandy Stowers – Field Hockey
Ryan Thomas – Men’s Soccer
Shannan Thompson – Women’s Basketball
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Londen Wheeler – Men’s Track & Field
Camille Williams – Field Hockey
Alex Wynn – Men’s Track & Field
Bianca Ygarza – Women’s Basketball
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Chris Yoder – Men’s Basketball
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey
Marla zumFelde – Women’s Basketball

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 9, Randolph 6
The women gave up a big lead in the first game, before coming back for the victory. They combined four hits in the top of the first to jump ahead 3-0.Ìý 91¶ÌÊÓƵ scored two more in the third, both with two outs, to build the edge to 5-0.

Randolph scored twice in the bottom of the third, and then took a 6-5 lead with four more in the fourth.

The Royals came back in the sixth. The WildCats opened the door with back-to-back errors.ÌýÌý(Elkton, Va./Spotswood) singled to tie the game, andÌýÌý(Elkton, Va./Spotswood) added a single to put 91¶ÌÊÓƵ ahead 7-6.ÌýÌý(Broadway, Va./Broadway) added a two-run single to build the final cushion.

Foltz was in the circle for the end of the game, and only allowed a single base runner over the final two innings to lock up the win.

The women had 14 hits and took advantage of five Randolph errors. Smith was 3-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Hensley finished 3-4 with three runs and an RBI.Ìý Foltz also had three singles and drove in three runs.ÌýÌý(Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) added two RBIs.

Ìý(Madison, Va./Madison County) started but gave up six runs in 3.0+ innings. Foltz earned her first collegiate win by spreading three hits over 4.0 scoreless innings.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 4, Randolph 3 – 8 innings
The Royals made a great comeback to force extra innings in the nightcap before winning the game in the eighth.

Randolph scored single runs in each of the second and third innings to stake a 2-0 lead. 91¶ÌÊÓƵ started to get base runners as the game wore on, but couldn’t bring them home, leaving eight on base through six innings.

Down to their final at-bat, the women rallied.ÌýÌý(Timberville, Va./Broadway) led off with a walk andÌýÌý(Crimora, Va./Fort Defiance) followed with a single. After a strikeout, Smith flew out to center, although it was deep enough that both runners could tag up and stand in scoring position. Hensley came up with the clutch two-out hit, singling to center to bring home both runners and tie the game at 2-2.

Foltz send the WildCats down in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. In the eighth, the Royals quickly scored their runner from second with a one-out single fromÌýÌý(Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance).ÌýÌý(Madison, Va./Madison County) followed with a single to bring home Lucas for a 4-2 lead.

Randolph got a leadoff double to bring in their placed runner, and then loaded the bases with just one out.Ìý But a tapper back to the pitcher turned into a game-ending 1-2-3 double play, giving 91¶ÌÊÓƵ the 4-3 victory.

Hensley finished 3-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.Ìý Sigrist and Smith each had two hits.Ìý McCallister reached base all four times she came up, getting one single and three walks.

Foltz earned her second win of the day by pitching all eight innings, scattering eight hits to improve to 2-1.

Eastern Mennonite improves to 7-10-1 with the sweep, including 2-3-1 with their first ODAC wins. The Royals now have a tie on their record after last Thursday’s halted game with Bridgewater was declared a final after a review of ODAC bylaws. That contest was tied at 8-8 after five innings.

The women will try to knock the final undefeated ODAC team from their perch tomorrow with two games at Lynchburg College. The Hornets are 2-0 in league play. Start time is 3 p.m.

Softball

Senior (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) leaves with her first-ever All-ODAC First Team honor, as she was 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s triple crown winner, leading the team in batting, homeruns and RBIs.Ìý Overall, Allman led the Lady Royals in nine offensive categories, hitting .422, on 49 hits, with eight homeruns, 11 doubles and 17 walks.Ìý She also tied a program record with 46 RBIs in a season.Ìý The infielder closes her career with five 91¶ÌÊÓƵ records: homeruns in season (9), RBIs in a season (46 – tied with Karla Alderfer), career homeruns (31), career RBIs (151) and career walks (52).Ìý Allman earned a spot on the All-ODAC First Team in the utility spot, as she played games at first base, second base and designated player this year.Ìý This is her third time on an All-ODAC team.

High school teammates (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) and (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) earned nods to the All-ODAC Second Team.Ìý Hensley, 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s shortstop, led the women and was sixth in the ODAC with 40 runs this year.Ìý She came two short of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s record of 42.Ìý Hensley was second on the team with 45 hits and added some pop as well, with a career high six homeruns to go with ten doubles and two triples.Ìý She was also on the Second Team as a freshman and Third Team last year.Ìý Smith took a spot on the Second Team as an outfielder after on the First Team in 2011.Ìý She played her best in the ODAC part of the season and finished with a .348 batting average, with eight doubles and four homeruns.Ìý Smith was second on the team with 28 RBIs.Ìý She also had a 6-3 record with one save and a 3.91 ERA as a pitcher.

The Lady Royals also had three new players land on the All-ODAC Third Team.Ìý Sophomore (Crimora, VA/Fort Defiance), a transfer from Lynchburg College, took over as 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s starting center fielder and lead-off hitter.Ìý She was third on the team with 44 hits and batted .336 with a team-best eight stolen bases.Ìý Freshmen (Bridgewater, VA/Turner Ashby) and (Elkton, VA/East Rockingham) rounded out 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s honorees.Ìý Miller, as designated player, was second on the team with a .404 batting average, adding four homeruns and 17 RBIs.Ìý She was also second in on-base percentage and third in slugging percentage.Ìý Cash earned her spot as the third baseman, and had a team high seven sacrifices.Ìý She tied for second on the team in stolen bases, going a perfect five-for-five.Ìý Cash was also fourth with 25 runs scored.

Eastern Mennonite’s young team finished the 2013 season 21-19 overall and 9-11 in the ODAC.Ìý They had a number of big wins during the year, including three over nationally ranked teams.Ìý The Lady Royals swept Lynchburg to end the regular season, and also handed No. 1 Salisbury one of their two losses.

Baseball

The Royals had two players honored to 2013 All-ODAC teams, with both catcher (Miami, FL/Doral Academy) and first baseman (Poquoson, VA/Poquoson) named to the Third Team.Ìý Both players are juniors at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ.

Estrada, also an ODAC All-Academic Team member, led the Royals in a number of offensive categories, as well as catching for a pitching staff which shaved nearly two full runs off its team ERA this spring and led the ODAC in strikeouts per game (7.08).Ìý Estrada had team highs with his 17 doubles (fourth-best season in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history), two homeruns, 34 RBIs and .500 slugging percentage.Ìý He was also second with 50 hits and a .333 batting average.Ìý Estrada was third in the ODAC in doubles, and fifth in both RBIs and sacrifice flies.

Posey responded very well to a big move this year.Ìý After concentrating on pitching only his first two seasons, the junior added playing first and batting to his repertoire.Ìý He hit from the leadoff spot all season and led 91¶ÌÊÓƵ with a .367 batting average, 54 hits and 35 runs scored.Ìý His .460 on-base percentage easily led 91¶ÌÊÓƵ and was fifth in the ODAC.Ìý Posey displayed a judicial eye at the plate, earning 19 walks compared to just eight strikeouts.Ìý He also had a 4-3 record from the hill, with a 2.81 ERA in 10 starts.

Despite a cold spell to end the season, Eastern Mennonite finished with their most wins since 2002, coming in at 15-24.

The last time Eastern Mennonite entered the ODAC tourney as the No. 8 seed, they won four straight games and claimed the 2010 ODAC Championship.Ìý As in previous years, all games at the ODAC Tournament will be at the Moyer Complex in Salem, VA.

Before Sunday’s doubleheader with Lynchburg, senior (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) was honored on Senior Day, and retiring Athletic Events Coordinator Phil Guengerich threw out the first pitch at the final home event of the year.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 9, Lynchburg 5
The Lady Royals took advantage of a handful of Hornet mistakes in their first at-bat, scoring five unearned runs to take the lead.Ìý Allman fittingly started the scoring with an RBI single, and freshman (Grottoes, VA/Fort Defiance) sent a towering three-run bomb over the left field fence to make it 5-0.

The Hornets responded quickly with four, two-out runs in the second.Ìý 91¶ÌÊÓƵ struck again in the fifth, with Allman rapping another RBI single before (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) shot a three-run homer to make it 9-4.

LC got a solo homerun to lead off the sixth, but Smith retired the next six batters she faced to lock up the win.

Allman finished 2-3 with two RBIs and two runs.Ìý Smith and Lucas each hit their fourth longball of the season.Ìý Lead-off batter (Crimora, VA/Fort Defiance), who transferred from Lynchburg to 91¶ÌÊÓƵ this year, had a pair of singles.

Smith picked up the win to improve to 6-3.Ìý She allowed just one hit with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 7, Lynchburg 2
Eastern Mennonite scored in the first inning again in the nightcap, and then got a solo shot from (Madison, VA/Madison County) in the second to take a 3-0 advantage.

The Hornets cut the lead to one with two runs in the fourth, but the Allman helped rebuild the cushion in the fifth.Ìý She launched her eighth homerun of the year, and 31st of her career, over the left field fence, as 91¶ÌÊÓƵ plated four more runs for the final 7-2 margin.

(Elkton, VA/Page County), another LC transfer this year, went the distance from the circle, scattering eight hits to improve to 4-9.

Allman finished 1-2 with three RBIs, hitting a homerun in her final at-bat on Gehman Field.

Smith was a perfect 3-3 from the plate with an RBI.Ìý (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) was 2-3 with a walk, scoring two times.

The Lady Royals close the regular season 21-17 overall and 9-11 in the ODAC.Ìý They tied with Randolph College for seventh, but settled for the No. 8 seed based on losing the head-to-head tie-breaker with the WildCats.Ìý 91¶ÌÊÓƵ was swept by top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan during the regular season, losing 4-0 and 8-1 in Virginia Beach on Apr. 13.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 10, Mary Baldwin 1 – 5 innings
The women scored once in the first, but broke through in the second.Ìý (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) brought in three with a bases loaded double to push the lead to 6-0.

The Fighting Squirrels got their run in the top of the fourth, but Eastern Mennonite put up four more in the bottom of the frame.Ìý Allman ripped another double which brought in two runs, and (Grottoes, VA/Fort Defiance) followed with an RBI double of her own.

Reigning ODAC Pitcher of the Week (Madison, VA/Madison County) struck out six batters in her five innings of work as she improved to 5-1 on the season.

Allman led the offense with her two doubles and five RBIs.Ìý (Elkton, VA/East Rockingham) also had a pair of hits, scoring twice and driving in another run.Ìý (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) and (Crimora, VA/Fort Defiance) each scored twice as well.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 9, Mary Baldwin 1 – 6 innings
Game two was scoreless until the bottom of the third.Ìý Cash led off with a single and Sigrist also singled with one out.Ìý Allman followed with a two-run double.Ìý A third run scored on a passed ball as 91¶ÌÊÓƵ jumped ahead 3-0.

Mary Baldwin scored an unearned run on a two-out double in the fourth, but the Lady Royals kept coming in the fifth.Ìý The first four batters had hits, including an RBI single from Lucas and a two-run double from (Bridgewater, VA/Turner Ashby).Ìý (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) added a two-out double to the push the edge to 7-1.

MBC went down in order in the top of the sixth, and the women triggered the eight-run mercy rule in the sixth, as Lucas and Miller had back-to-back RBI hits to plate two.

(Stuarts Draft, VA/Stuarts Draft) got her first career start and earned the complete game win.Ìý The freshman gave up just two hits and one unearned run.

Miller finished 2-3 with a walk and drove in three runs.Ìý Allman was also 2-3 with a walk, and added two RBIs and two runs.Ìý Lucas had a pair of singles with two RBIs while Sigrist also had two hits and scored twice.

Eastern Mennonite stays at home for two more doubleheaders this weekend, hosting Mary Washington on Saturday and then No. 23 Roanoke on Sunday.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 8, Allegheny 6
The Lady Royals picked up an impressive win over a talented Allegheny team to open day two at the Beach Blast. The women scored four in the second and four more in the fourth, then held on for the win.

In the second, (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) singled with one away and her teammates responded by loading the bases. (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) walked in one run, and (Crimora, VA/Fort Defiance) brought in another with an RBI groundout.Ìý (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) then stuck a two-run single into right field.

Hensley, Sigrist and Allman each singled with one out in the fourth to start the next rally. An error and a sacrifice fly brought in the final three runs as the women went up 8-0.

The Gators got a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, and then plated five more runs off reliever (Manassas, VA/Forest Park) in the fifth. Allegheny had a two-out rally in the seventh, but a groundball ended the game and gave 91¶ÌÊÓƵ the win.

(Elkton, VA/Spotswood) scattered three hits over 4.0 innings of work from the circle to get the win and improve to 1-0. Smith earned the save despite giving up five runs in her 3.0 innings.

Allman had two of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s six hits, going 2-3 with three RBI and a run. She also walked. Hensley went 1-3 with a walk, scoring twice and driving in another.

Washington 2, 91¶ÌÊÓƵ 1
Washington College scored the game’s first run with two outs in the fourth. Then in the sixth, they added insurance with a leadoff homerun.

Hensley jacked a one-out homer in the bottom of the sixth to slice the lead in half. Allman had a two-out double later in the inning, and (Bridgewater, VA/Turner Ashby) had a two-out double in the seventh, but both runners were left stranded.

(Elkton, VA/Page County) allowed just five hits but took the loss to slide to 0-3.Ìý Hensley, Allman, (Grottoes, VA/Fort Defiance) and Miller each had one of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s hits.

Now 2-4 on the year, the Lady Royals return to Harrisonburg for their home opener this week. The women are scheduled to host Southern Virginia on Wednesday, although the teams are looking at possibly playing the doubleheader earlier in the week because of snow in the forecast.

Wednesday night’s rescheduled doubleheader was played under the lights at Harrisonburg High School.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 6, Randolph-Macon 1
The women got plenty of hits of R-MC ace Heather Lewis, who entered with an ERA of 0.93.Ìý (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) started a four-hit rally in the second with a leadoff single.Ìý (Powhatan, VA/Powhatan) and (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) each had RBI singles to put 91¶ÌÊÓƵ on top, 2-0.

(Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) got plunked on the helmet to open the third.Ìý After a Smith single, (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) launched a homerun over the left field wall, scoring three for a 5-0 lead.

(Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County), meanwhile, was in fine control of her pitches, allowing only three hits through five innings.Ìý But the Yellow Jackets broke the shutout with a wind-aided homer to open the sixth.

Lee got the run back in the bottom of the frame, shooting a laser beam to center for her eighth longball of the year.Ìý She then sent the Yellow Jackets down in order in the seventh to secure the 6-1 win.

The Lady Royals out-hit R-MC 9-4 in the opener, with Lee and Smith each getting a pair of hits.Ìý Lee went the distance from the circle to improve to 10-4.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 9, Randolph-Macon 6
The Yellow Jackets scored an unearned run to take a lead in the top of the first, but 91¶ÌÊÓƵ responded in a big way in the second.Ìý (Stanley, VA/Page County) led off with a homer to left, her third in the last four games.Ìý Allman hit a one-out single and two bunt singles later the women had the bases loaded.

The Royals had a runner thrown out at home for the second out of the inning.Ìý Hensley came through in the clutch, however, with a bases-clearing double.Ìý Lee hit an RBI infield single and Crews followed with a two-run bomb, capping a seven-run outburst for the lead.

R-MC looked for a big inning the fourth, but only scored one run.Ìý The visitors left the bases loaded when (Stanley, VA/Page County) tracked down a fly ball in the right center field gap, leaving the score 7-2.Ìý In the sixth, the Yellow Jackets plated another single run before leaving two on when Viafora made an inning-ending catch in a similar spot.

(Shenandoah, VA/Page County) cranked a two-run shot to straightaway center in the bottom of the frame, pushing the lead back up to six at 9-3.Ìý The breathing room was needed as the visitors added a three-run homerun in their final at-bat, producing the 9-6 final score.

The women had an advantage in hits, 10-7, to help escape for defensive errors.Ìý Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit.Ìý Hensley was 2-4 while Jenkins finished 2-3.Ìý Viafora singled and walked and scored both times.

Smith, 7-2, pitched the complete game victory.Ìý Only four of the six runs she allowed were earned.

The Lady Royals snapped a season worst three-game losing skid with the wins and are getting hot at just the right time, with the ODAC Tournament starting on Friday.Ìý 91¶ÌÊÓƵ hit five homeruns against Randolph-Macon after getting four the night before against Virginia Wesleyan.

At 25-11 overall and 9-9 in the ODAC, the women are tied for the third-most wins in program history.Ìý They finished 27-13 last spring and 30-13 in 2008.

Below is full schedule for day one of the ODAC Tournament.

Friday, April 27
Game 1: #1 Virginia Wesleyan vs. #8 Emory & Henry – Field 1 – 12:00 p.m.
Game 2: #4 Lynchburg vs. #5 Bridgewater – Field 3 – 12:00 p.m.
Game 3: #2 Roanoke vs. #7 Randolph – Field 1 – 2:00 p.m.
Game 4: #3 Randolph-Macon vs. #6 Eastern Mennonite – Field 3 – 2:00 p.m.
Game 5: Loser G1 vs. Loser G2 – Field 1 – 4:00 p.m.
Game 6: Loser G3 vs. Loser G4 – Field 3 – 4:00 p.m.
Game 7: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2 – Field 1 – 6:00 p.m.
Game 8: Winner G3 vs. Winner G4 – Field 3 – 6:00 p.m.

Smith threw a pair of complete game shutouts last week to pick up a pair of victories.Ìý The sophomore threw 13.2 scoreless innings to improve to 6-1 on the year.Ìý She scattered five hits in a 2-0 win over Randolph, then threw a five-inning shutout against Sweet Briar.

Smith is second in the ODAC with four shutouts, fourth in batting average against and fifth in ERA.

She also helped lead 91¶ÌÊÓƵ at the plate, batting .537 with a pair of homeruns.Ìý Smith scored five runs and knocked in nine more, and leads the ODAC with 35 RBIs.

The Lady Royals are 22-6 as they prepare for Tuesday’s doubleheader at Roanoke.Ìý They women are 6-4 in ODAC play.

The Lady Royals got a single in the first and a pair in the second, but SU starter Brooke Over got out of the jam each time.Ìý Lisa Lee (Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County), meanwhile, didn’t allow a runner until a two-out walk in the third.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth.Ìý Lee drew a two-out walk.Ìý Within a couple of pitches, the speedster took off for second.Ìý As Lee slid in with the steal, the throw from the Hornets’ catcher sailed wide and into shallow center field.Ìý Lee took off for third and then took advantage of a lack of hustle in the outfield by turning the corner for home, sliding in headfirst and slapping home for the first run of the game.

Back in the circle in the top of the sixth, Lee continued her no-hitter with her third consecutive one-two-three inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Over had two outs but made a bad pitch to Sara Jenkins (Stanley, VA/Page County).Ìý The first baseman ripped it over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead and her third homerun of the season.Ìý A couple of minutes later, lightning forced a lengthy delay to the game.

Lee tried to close out the no-no when play resumed, but gave up a one-out single in the seventh.Ìý She kept her composure, however, and coaxed out back-to-back fly balls to earn the shutout victory.

Another lightning bolt then put the start of game two in a delay, before finally postponing it altogether.Ìý As both teams have had a handful of games cancelled this spring, the two will try to schedule another doubleheader in the coming weeks.

Lee improved to 7-2 with the win, as she struck out two and allowed only two base runners via one hit and one walk.Ìý Over allowed five hits and walked two but also struck out 12 Lady Royals out of 18 outs.

Jenkins finished 2-3 from the plate with her homerun.Ìý Rasheeda Crews (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) had a pair of singles and Molly Smith (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) had a hit and a walk.

Now 17-3 overall, the women take on ODAC play in earnest.Ìý Eastern Mennonite, 1-1 in the conference, plays at Guilford on Saturday followed by two at Lynchburg on Sunday.

Bridgewater 8, 91¶ÌÊÓƵ 0
Despite being out-hit only 10-8, Eastern Mennonite couldn’t plate a run in the first game.Ìý The women started out rocky, giving up two runs in the top of the first.Ìý After going down in order in the bottom of the first, the Royals’ defense let them down in the second.

With two runners on and two away, (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) bobbled a grounder to short, allowing a run to score and letting the inning continue.Ìý The Eagles took full advantage of the miscue, following with a three-run homer from Leigh Lam (McGaheysville, VA/Spotswood) to vault the lead to 6-0.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ had runners on second and third with only one away in the fourth, but a strikeout and groundout left them stranded.Ìý Bridgewater got a solo homerun from Morgan Williams (Richmond, VA/Varina) in the sixth to up the score to 7-0.

The women left the bases loaded in their half of the sixth and BC brought in one more in the seventh for the final score.

(Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County) went the distance for the Lady Royals and took the loss to slip to 6-2.Ìý She gave up 10 hits, walked four, and watched her defense commit three errors.

Seven of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s eight hits were singles.Ìý (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) and (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) each had two hits.Ìý (Madison, VA/Madison County) had a double.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 3, Bridgewater 2
The women settled down by game two and took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.Ìý Lee led off with a single and after a BC error came in on an Allman sacrifice fly.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ starter (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) took a no-hitter into the fifth, but then gave up a double and single as the Eagles tied the score at 1-1.Ìý Bridgewater took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth and had the bases loaded with one out.Ìý Aylor took over for Smith in the circle and successfully kept the deficit at one run with a strikeout and a groundout.

Lee tied the game in dramatic fashion to lead off the bottom of the frame, crushing a pitch nearly 250 feet to straightaway center.Ìý It was her fourth homerun of the season.

BC speedster Kasey Anderson (Chatham, VA/Chatham) drew a one-out walk in the seventh, but Crews gunned her down trying to steal second.Ìý The momentum of throwing out Anderson for the first time after 20 successful attempts this season carried over into the bottom of the inning.

(Stanley, VA/Page County) led off with a double to the right center gap.Ìý (Berkeley Springs, VA/ Berkeley Springs) came in to run, and sped around to score the game-winning run when Crews shot a single up the middle.

Game two was more of what the crowd of 587 expected to see on the big stage, with 91¶ÌÊÓƵ having five hits to BC’s four.

Lee finished 2-3 out of the leadoff spot, scoring twice and collected one RBI from her homerun.Ìý Hensley, Jenkins and Crews had the women’s other hits.

Smith pitched four no-hit innings and settled for a no decision as she allowed two runs in 5-1/3 innings.Ìý Aylor struck out one and walked one in 1-2/3 innings of relief to earn the win and improve to 6-1.

Eastern Mennonite moves to 16-3 on the season while No. 24 Bridgewater goes to 16-2 after the doubleheader split.Ìý Both teams are also 1-1 in the ODAC.Ìý The Lady Royals are on the road this weekend, playing two at Sweet Briar on Sunday.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 13, York 1
After a disappointing split against Mary Washington on Saturday, the women got their bats going quickly in their home opener.Ìý (Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County) led off with a double and the hit parade started.Ìý The Lady Royals put together five hits, including a three-run homer from (Stanley, VA/Page County).

(Elkton, VA/Spotswood) drove out a two-run blast to start an eight-run second.Ìý 91¶ÌÊÓƵ put together five hits with three walks and closed out their second big inning with back-to-back sacrifice flies to push the lead to 13-0.

The women left the bases loaded in the third, but it didn’t matter as the Spartans only managed one run in the mercy-shortened game.

Eastern Mennonite had 11 hits and eight walks in their four at-bats. ÌýJenkins finished 3-3 with her second homerun.Ìý The junior scored twice and had four RBIs.Ìý was 2-3 (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) with two runs and an RBI.

(Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance), (Madison, VA/Madison County) and (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) each scored twice as well.

Lee threw the complete game to improve to 6-1.Ìý She scattered four hits and struck out two.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ 5, York 2
The Spartans got on board in their first at-bat in game two, putting together a pair of hits to go ahead 1-0.

The Lady Royals batted around in the third and took the lead with four two-out runs.Ìý Smith and Jenkins each hit RBI singles, and Crews added a two-run single.

York scored a run in the fourth, but 91¶ÌÊÓƵ got it back in the fifth when Allman lofted a leadoff homerun over the left field fence to make it 5-2.

The visitors threatened in the sixth, but had a runner thrown out at home to end the inning.Ìý The Spartans got a two-out single in the seventh, but Aylor threw her third consecutive scoreless frame in relief to preserve the three-run win.

Smith started in the circle and pitched four innings to improve to 4-0.Ìý Aylor earned her first save with three innings of work.

Lee was 3-4 from the plate to lead an 11-hit attack.Ìý She hit two doubles and a triple while scoring one run.Ìý Allman hit her team-best fifth homer of the year and finished 2-3 with two runs and an RBI.

Crews was 2-3 with a pair of RBIs and Jenkins also had a pair of hits with one RBI.

Eastern Mennonite is now 14-2 and continues their homestand with Hood on Tuesday.Ìý First pitch from Gehman Field is 3 p.m.

“This is potentially the best offensive team we have ever fielded at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ,” said ninth-year Head Coach J.D. McCurdy.Ìý “We have six returning All-ODAC athletes and some talented freshmen.”

In 2011, Eastern Mennonite set team marks for most hits (386), runs scored (287), homeruns (39), RBIs (266) and slugging percentage (.521).

The team finished with the second-best record in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history at 27-13 and the best record ever in ODAC play at 14-4.Ìý The Lady Royals took the top seed into the ODAC Tournament but were knocked out late on day two of the three-day, double elimination tourney.

To make a postseason run this year and claim just the third ODAC Championship in program history, McCurdy needs his returners to continue to improve.

High school teammates (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) and (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) were each named to all-region teams last spring as freshman.Ìý Smith led 91¶ÌÊÓƵ with 40 RBIs, 14 doubles and 55 hits as the outfielder earned NFCA All-Region (Atlantic) Second Team honors.Ìý Hensley was a defensive general at shortstop and led the Lady Royals with a .441 batting average.Ìý She was named All-Region Third Team.

(Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County) earned All-ODAC First Team honors as the ODAC Pitcher of the Year, and was a star in the circle and at the plate.Ìý She was 19-7 with two saves as a pitcher, charting a 2.24 ERA and breaking the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ season records with 19 wins and 165-2/3 innings pitched.Ìý She was also second on the team with seven homeruns and led the way with 42 runs, 18 walks and 15 stolen bases.

Other All-ODAC performers include: All-ODAC First Team designated player (Stanley, VA/Page County) (.364, 4 HR, 21 RBI), All-ODAC Second Team catcher (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) (.395, 1 HR, 14 RBI), and All-ODAC Honorable Mention second baseman (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) (.286, 8 HR, 30 RBI).

McCurdy also returns three other players: (Stanley, VA/Page County) (.300, 4 HR, 18 RBI), (Shenandoah, VA/Page County) (.304, 1 HR, 7 RBI), and (Berkeley Springs, WV/Berkeley Springs) (.500, 17 R).

The incoming class of freshmen (Madison, VA/Madison County) and (Powhatan, VA/Powhatan), while not very deep, is quite talented.

“Jordan will be an impact player as a pitcher and position player,” said McCurdy, “and Taylor provides additional offensive punch.”

With so many of the bats returning, as well as both pitchers (Lee and Smith) and newcomer Aylor, McCurdy feels his team can make some noise this year.

“A great offense and strong circle will help us stay competitive with every team we play,” he said.

The Lady Royals were tabbed to finish second in the ODAC Preseason Poll, behind ODAC Tournament Champion Virginia Wesleyan, but McCurdy is indifferent to the preseason prognosticators.

“We are never concerned where we are picked in the ODAC,” he said.Ìý “We will put the crosshair on every team we play!”

91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s coach is simply excited for this season.

“The chemistry of this group is outstanding,” McCurdy explained.Ìý “We have a good mix of very talented athletes and two very strong freshmen.Ìý If we have a weakness it’s in depth and speed on the bases.Ìý We will need to let our bats do the talking to overcome our weaknesses.”

If history is any indicator, the women should be able to mask their flaws.Ìý Last year, the Lady Royals out-hit their opponents .346 to .267 and smacked nearly three times as many homeruns as they gave up (39 to 14).

Eastern Mennonite will get a big challenge as they continue their 2012 season this weekend at the Beach Blast in Virginia Beach, VA.Ìý The women will take on two teams ranked in the NFCA national preseason poll, No. 3 Christopher Newport and No. 8 Salisbury.

McCurdy says these tough non-conference games will prepare his team for their ultimate objectives.

“Our goals are to win the ODAC Championship and win the region,” he said.Ìý “Those are lofty goals, but our women are ready for the challenge.”

The women graduated four seniors from last year’s squad, but do return much of their record-setting offensive firepower.Ìý (Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County) (P/3B), a three-time All-ODAC selection, is back for her senior season.Ìý She was named ODAC Pitcher of the Year in 2011 with a program-record 19 wins on a 2.24 ERA.Ìý At the plate, Lee also had seven homeruns, 18 walks and 15 stolen bases, and she took over 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Career Homerun title during her sophomore season.

Eastern Mennonite also returns five other All-ODAC performers, including First Teamers (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) (OF/P) and (Stanley, VA/Page County) (DP).Ìý In her freshman season, Smith led the Lady Royals with 55 hits, 14 doubles and 40 RBIs.Ìý Jenkins finished with a .364 batting average and hit all four of her homers in ODAC play.

(Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) (C) and (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) (SS) were each named to the All-ODAC Second Team.Ìý Hensley was stellar defensively at shortstop and batted .441 with 31 RBIs.Ìý Crews returned last year after missing the 2010 campaign, and was third on the team with a .395 batting average.

All-ODAC Honorable Mention (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) returns her big stick to second base, where she tied for the ODAC lead with a program record eight homeruns last spring.

The Lady Royals broke numerous offensive program records last year and finished with the second-most wins in school history at 27-13.Ìý The women were also 14-4 in the ODAC.Ìý They open up the 2012 season Feb. 24-25 at the Triangle Classic in Raleigh, NC.

Virginia Wesleyan earned seven first place votes and 77 total points as the Marlins were picked to repeat as conference champions in the 2012 ODAC Softball Preseason Poll.Ìý Bridgewater College (57), Guilford College (54) and Roanoke College (52) are separated by just five votes for the next three slots in the predicted rankings.

The Marlins captured their sixth ODAC title in 2011, tying for second-most in the conference behind Roanoke (7) with Lynchburg.Ìý VWC turned the trick in just four games, the second straight year the ODAC’s tournament champion needed the minimum number of games to hoist the league’s hardware (91¶ÌÊÓƵ in 2010).Ìý VWC’s crown paved the way to the NCAA Division III Tournament, but the Marlins’ stay was shorter than expected following losses to Christopher Newport (8-6) and Kean University (13-5).

Virginia Wesleyan (29-11 overall, 10-8 in ODAC play in 2011) and reigning ODAC Coach of the Year, Brandon Elliott, welcome back all four of their all-conference performers from a season ago.Ìý Included in that group are a pair of All-ODAC First Team choices in ODAC Rookie of the Year, pitcher MacKenzie Creech (18-6, 1.84 ERA), and catcher Jaclyn Quinn (.378, 5 HR, 35 RBI).Ìý Creech tied for tops in the ODAC with 157 strikeouts and was second in wins (18) and innings pitched (160.0), while Quinn was second with 16 doubles and third with a .658 slugging percentage.

Bridgewater (31-11, 14-4), Guilford (26-15, 10-8) and Roanoke (27-11, 12-6) combine for six returning all-conference athletes, three from the first team.Ìý Leading the way for the Eagles is first team shortstop Hillary Rees (.410, 13 2B, 33 RBI).Ìý She’s joined by second team pitcher Heather Jenkins (13-6, 1.98 ERA, 120.1 IP).Ìý The Quakers will look to starter Jessica Burcham (14-6, 1.91 ERA), who led the league with 18 complete games and tied atop the charts with 157 strikeouts.Ìý The Maroons feature three returners from the all-conference lists including 2011 batting champ Leona Rainey (.446), who also led the league in stolen bases (32) and on-base percentage (.514).Ìý She’s joined by fellow first team choice, utility player Stephanie Clark (.322, 15 RBI and 4-2, 0.85 ERA).

Lynchburg (21-18, 8-10) goes in search of its fourth ODAC crown in the last six years.Ìý Helping with that effort is second team second baseman Sarah Smith (.263, .314 OBP) and honorable mention catcher Meagan Fredenburg (.316, 21 RBI).

Randolph (22-19, 7-11) returns three all-conference players from the team that went to the ODAC title game for the first time in school history.Ìý Lauren Stevenson (.440, 4 3B, 30 SB) and Brittany Willingham (.391, .623 SLG%) will again roam two-thirds of the WildCats’ outfield after first and second team seasons, respectively.Ìý Willingham led the ODAC in doubles (17) and runs batted in (49).

Randolph-Macon (21-13, 11-7) and Emory & Henry (10-24, 4-12) each feature a returning all-conference standout.Ìý The Yellow Jackets welcome back second team utility player Heather Lewis, who performed well both at the plate (.314, .392 OBP) and in the circle (9-8, 2.27 ERA).Ìý The Wasps are led by honorable mention catcher Jenae Morrissey (.346, .400 OBP) as new head coach Sara Schoenhoft prepares for her first season in Emory.

Sweet Briar College (0-20, 0-18) will look for new on-field leaders following the graduation of key seniors from 2011.Ìý Catcher/first baseman Nikki Thompson (.225, .311 OBP) is the Vixens’ top returning hitter.

Listed below is the 2012 ODAC Softball Preseason Poll.Ìý For more information, visit any of the participating schools’ websites, or go to the ODAC’s home on the Internet at .Ìý Don’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook by clicking .Ìý You can also follow the ODAC on Twitter by clickingÌý.