Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ATLANTA, GA – The #5 ranked Roanoke College softball team split a pair of contests on Saturday afternoon, defeating Birmingham Southern 7-3, but falling to #13 Emory University, 9-1 in five innings.  The Maroons now have a record of 5-1, while the Panthers are 5-3, and the Eagles sit with a perfect 15-0 mark.
 
Early in the day, the Maroons took on the Panthers of Birmingham Southern.  The Maroons jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.  Alea Bier hit an RBI double, plating Leona Rainey who reached base after being hit by a pitch. The next batter, Hollee Warlitner hit a sacrifice fly ball to center field to score Bier from third.  The Panthers tied the game up at 2-2 in the top of the third inning after an error and a single allowed for two runs to score.
 
Roanoke was quick to reclaim the lead in the bottom of the third inning.  Bier scored her second run of the game on a wild pitch, followed by Alexis Roop hitting a two RBI single, scoring Stephanie Clark and Warlitner on the play.  After three, Roanoke led 5-2.  The Maroons were able to extend their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as well.  Rainey hit an RBI double, scoring Rhea Schleicher, while Rainey also scored on a fielders choice hit by Warlitner.  After four, Roanoke held a 7-2 lead.  The Panthers were able to score one more run in the top of the fifth, but the damage had been done as Roanoke walked away with the 7-3 win.
 
Beir and Schleicher each finished the game with two hits each, while Bier and Rainey scored a team high, two runs each.   Warlitner and Roop finished the game with two RBIs.  Kelly Higbie (3-0) picked up the win, pitching a complete game, giving up three runs and striking out three.
 
Only three Panthers got hits on the afternoon, while Brittany Berkopec, Joanna Jernigan and Danielle Rucker scored BSC's only runs of the game.  Bethany Fronk (4-2) picked up the loss for the Panthers, giving up five runs off five hits, all earned, and striking out three.
 
In the second game of the day, #5 Roanoke battled against #13 Emory University.  The last time these two teams faced off against each other was in the NCAA Regional Tournament, where the Maroons defeated then #1 ranked Eagles 4-2.
 
Just as in the first game, Roanoke got on the board first, scoring in the top of the second inning.  Alexis Roop hit a solo home run, giving Roanoke a 1-0 lead.  The Maroons' lead would hold until the bottom of the fourth inning, where the Eagles got on a roll.
 
Moira Sullivan hit a solo home run of her own to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, tying the game at 1-1.  The Eagles proceded to load the bases, and then two runs scored on an error.  Ally Kersthold hit a two RBI triple to center field plating two more runs.  Claire Pollard hit an RBI single through the right side scoring one more.  Through the end of the fourth inning, Emory had scored eight runs off of six hits and two errors, taking an 8-1 lead over the Maroons.  After the Maroons got three consecutive outs in the top of the fifth, Megan Light hit an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to clench the game for the Eagles.  Emory defeated Roanoke 9-1 after five innings.
 
Leona Rainey led the Maroons in hitting, going 2-3 on the afternoon.  Alexis Roop had the only other hit for Roanoke, being the solo home run in the second inning.  Kelly Higbie (3-1) picked up her first loss of the year, pitching four and two thirds innings, giving up nine runs (two earned) off of 11 hits.
 
Micah Scharff led the Eagles in hitting, going 4-4 on the day, and plating two runs of her own.  Six other Emory players had a hit in the game,  while seven had one run to their name.  Ally Kersthold led all players in RBIs with two.  Amanda Kardys (12-0) earned the win in the game, giving up one run off of three hits in five innings pitched.
 
Roanoke will take on Birmingham Southern and Emory again on Sunday, March 3^rd.  The first game is scheduled for a 10:00 AM start.
 
 
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