Softball hosted two double headers against conference opponents this past weekend, winning three out of the four games and the only loss coming in extras.
To begin the weekend, the Panthers hosted Bridgewater.
In game one both teams scored early runs, with the Eagles plating one, but the Panther offense responding with an RBI single from first-year Mirenda Shields.
The score stayed knotted at one until the bottom of the fourth inning when junior Emily Hopper’s RBI single gave Ferrum a 2-1 lead.
The team extended the lead the following inning with first-year Emily Wood’s RBI single, and Shields reaching on an error scoring a run, and Hopper walking with the bases loaded to bring in another run.
After the first inning, Bridgewater didn’t score another run for the remainder of the game.
Ferrum would take game one 5-1.
Although the team only had five hits, they had plenty of baserunners as the team had seven walks.
“We did a great job being patient and getting our pitch to hit,” Head Coach Joshua Freeman said. “She threw a lot out of the zone, and we did a great job with our approach.”
In game two, Ferrum jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the second inning, but the Eagles rallied in the later innings tying the score at two in the sixth.
After a scoreless seventh from both squads, the game went into extra innings.
In the eighth, the Eagles were able to score two runs, and the Panther’s offense didn’t respond, resulting in a 4-2 extra innings loss.
“It was a great softball game. They made a couple of plays down the stretch to beat us,” Freeman said. “I do not think it slipped away, they just made a play or two more than we did.”
Freeman added how The Hill was great all weekend. He continued by saying it was intense for both games on Saturday.
The following day the Royals of EMU came to The Hill.
In similar fashion to Saturday’s games, the Panther offense struck early.
First-year Nicole Emerson lead off with a triple on the first pitch she saw.
First-year Sophia Peters followed with a single, scoring Emerson.
EMU would tie the game in the fifth inning, but in the bottom half, Emerson singled and got to third by an error from the left fielder, and Peters singled to drive her in.
“It is obviously nice to get Nicole on base with her speed and athleticism that she brings to the table,” Freeman said. “Sophia has come on and does a great job putting the ball in play and making things happen on offense. She also has the ability to drive the ball to the fence.”
In the sixth inning, the Panthers would be able to put some space in between them and the Royals with a solo home run by sophomore Riley Young.
This would be enough to give the Panthers a 3-1 win.
In the circle for both game ones of the team’s two doubleheaders was Emily Wood.
Wood threw two complete games in her two outings, allowing just one earned run across 14 innings.
“Emily has stepped up big time. She really controlled the strike zone, pitched to soft contact with the defense playing very well behind her,” Freeman said. “Two total runs and one earned run in 14 innings in ODAC play is really impressive.”
In game two, the Panthers scored four in the first inning and another three in the fifth, giving them a 7-0 lead after five.
EMU plated one in the sixth, but it wasn’t enough as the Panthers swept the Royals, winning game two 7-1.
“Getting the early lead allows our pitchers to relax and throw strikes. It also allows the hitters to not put so much pressure on themselves,” Freeman said.
In the circle for game two was junior Wynema Thomas, who threw 5.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits, earning her first win in the circle this season.
Ferrum’s record now sits at 8-14 overall, and 4-4 in conference.
The Panthers are tied for fifth in conference record with three other teams but are in seventh place due to the overall record tiebreaker.
The next time the team will take the field is on the road Saturday, April 5 against Randolph College. Game one of the doubleheader will start at 2 p.m.
Freeman had a message to give to his team following the winning weekend.
“We showed we could play really god softball for the entirety of the weekend, now we have to continue that play on the road and the rest of the ODAC season,” he said.
