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Softball splits double header s^ainst EMU on a cold Saturday
By Patrick Childs
Staff Writer
The bitter cold didn't faze, and
somehow didn't freeze the wom
en's softball team on Saturday,
March 29.
Eastern Mennonite University
(EMU) came to town with an
impressive, undefeated confer
ence record and was looking to
pounce on the Quakers. But the
lady-Quakers were optimistic.
"Our coach told us to be men
tally prepared for the game and
to fight through the cold," said
outfielder Sam Golley.
From the start, the Quakers
filled the gaps with line drives
and crowded the bases with run
ners.
After first-year Charissa Duncan
scored off Kelly Guarnieri's fly
ball to centerfield, junior Kelly
Hale stepped to the plate.
Hale took a couple Babe Ruth
like warm-up swings as intimida
tion, and then looked for a pitch to
blast. And she found it.
Mirroring the Babe's 1932 World
Series home run, Hale's hit sailed
over the centerfield wall for a two-
run homerun and a 3-0 lead.
Slowly but surely the Royals
made their way back into the
game, responding to the Quakers'
productive first inning with a run
of their own in both the second
and third innings.
The next two innings, pitcher
and sophomore DeNina Eldridge
held EMU scoreless on three hits,
but the Quakers too were unable
to put together any runs.
Beginning the seventh inning,
the game was tied at three.
Eldridge continued her solid
outing on the mound, which
included five strikeouts. The sev
enth would prove to be her finest.
"I just love to watch her play,"
said Coach Dennis Shores. "She
is a great competitor and always
gives you 110 percent."
Eldridge's heat was nearly
untouchable. It was as if the first
two batters were waiving car
antennas at a marble. They both
struck out swinging.
An EMU scoreless seventh
inning gave the Quakers the right-
of-way to victory.
In the bottom of the inning,
Guarnieri started a one-out rally
with a ground ball base hit. First-
year Ami Hutcherson followed
with a walk, which left the game
in the hands of Sam Golley.
Failing to reach base on her pre
vious at bats, Golley stepped up
to the plate looking for redemp
tion.
First, she looked at ball one.
"Well they changed the pitch
er," Golley said. "So I went up
there with an open mind know
ing that anything can happen."
Quickly Golley found herself
in a hole, with a 1-2 count.
EMU pitcher Natasha Viafora
thought she had Golley right
where she wanted her, but Golley
didn't panic.
One swing of the bat left
Viafora watching and the out
field running.
With Hutcherson on second.
Coach Shores didn't hesitate to
wave her home for the winning
run.
Golley's RBI (run batted in)
gave the Quakers the victory.
"I was happy that I could come
through for the team," Golley
said. "I was just excited that we
won the game."
The second game of the double
header didn't favor the Quakers
as they lost 8-7 in extra innings.
But other teams should consider
Saturday's games a message.
"When we play our game
we can compete with anyone,"
Shores said. "It's just discipline
in the girls doing their job."
Cloud Gamble/Gu
ILFORDIAN
Samantha Golley, first-year, swings at the ball during the March 29 double
header against Easten Mennonite University.
-—
Although‘the final score
didn^ reflect their efforts, the
baseball team put
fight against the
Greensboro College Pride and
pitched five scoreless innings. .
' OhMarch 25 the Quaker base
ball t^am 412*14) fell to their
long time rivals Greensboro
(X^O) St JNew Bridg^. Bank,
y'Pac|^%osfng;^-2.'
During the top of the fourth
inning it looked as if the
Quakers were going to make
a comeback as they performed
well in the field, holding tlie
Pride to just one hit and’no
runS; But when it was the
Quakers turn at the plate, they
Taiied.Tp score as 2 batters, cen
ter JaSOh Flud and right fielder
Byron Myers, grounded out con
secutively
Despite the Quaker's Drew
Ward scoring one unearned run
during the-inning, the fiffli was
espedaily-brutai for the Quakers,
vyith the.t^ide scoring four runs
off 6f four hits.
‘At ;tc^" ^. the' thd'
Quakd-s BuU
thejjmihg was>m^t^bfithe serne
fOT thp, Quakers; who failed to
score and gave Hp another run.
The Quakers looked good in
the field again and held the Pride
ta a scoreless seventh. However,
they repeatedly failed to capital-,
ize at the plate. Shortstop Josh
. Sumiei singled and eventually
advanced to third base, but w%s
unable to score as catcher Phillip
Drew’popped a fly ball intCH^e'"^^;
outfield to bring the inning to ah^^^
end.
Despite Quaker right fielder
Zach Schlesinger'.s’efforts pinch, _
hitting> the Quakers were score
less in the eighth innin,
■ ' s a,'pjhdk
"^-^iltteT for the Quakers
- the final inning, bublhe QU,ai^
once again failed to^scdre. ^The. ^
:game' ended .vyath- ,Sumler Hn-
ipg ,out Ip; the pjidHOT:
b'a^emari'brew Wkrd scored the
QuakefS only twoyuns ‘ ’ ■
bespiie the Quaker's losing ,
to Greensboro College, they per
formed better this time around
than they did during their
first game against the Pride in
February, when they lost 23-3.