Seeing its first action since Feb. 24, the Emory softball team dropped both games of a Wednesday doubleheader at Randolph-Macon College.  The No. 12-ranked Yellow Jackets posted a 2-1 triumph in eight innings in the opener before rallying for an eight-inning, 6-4, win in the finale.  Emory is now 6-4 on the season while RM-C upped its record to 13-1.

A one-out, walk-off grand slam by Randolph-Macon's Harley Jones in the bottom of the eighth inning was the nightcap's deciding blow, negating Emory's two-run advantage that it generated in the top of the frame.  With the score knotted at 2-2 and the tie-breaker format in play, Ashley Powers opened the inning on second.  After junior outfielder Jenna Wilson sacrificed Powers to third, freshman Drew Bullock drew a walk.  Following an Emory strikeout, junior shortstop Cassie Baca singled in Powers with the go-ahead run, taking second on the throw while Bullock raced to third.  Bullock proceeded to score after an error by the Randolph-Macon third baseman, upping the Eagles' lead to 4-2, but Baca was out at the plate when trying to score. Emory collected a total of seven hits, two apiece by the sophomore duo of Jessy McLean and catcher Greta Wilker, both of whom delivered run-scoring doubles in the top of the first that gave Emory a 2-0 lead. Freshman Jacqueline Spizizen took the loss in the circle for Emory, her second against four victories, going all 7 1/3 inning and giving up six hits while striking out eight.

In the opener, junior Audrey Weller and RM-C's Candace Whittemore engaged in a pitching duel, with the both hurlers throwing complete games and combining for nine strikeouts while not issuing any walks. The Yellow Jackets got on the board first with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth before the Eagles scored in their half of the seventh when sophomore McLean led off the frame with her first home run of the season.  Implementing the tie-breaker format, Randolph-Macon secured the win when Madie Stone scampered home from second on a ground out. Weller saw her record dip to 1-1 despite allowing just six hits while striking out three. Whittemore boosted her mark to 6-1, fanning six and giving up seven hits.

The Eagles return to action on Thursday (Mar. 15) when they play a doubleheader at No. 6 Christopher Newport starting at 3:00 pm.