WINCHESTER, Va. – Shenandoah University came back to salvage a non-conference doubleheader split with a game two softball victory over Mary Washington Saturday afternoon at Henkel-Harris Field.

Shenandoah (11-13) was a 5-3 winner in the nightcap after UMW (17-13) won game one 6-5 in eight innings.

SU scored the first five runs of the game two but had to hold on as the Eagles scored four in the top of the seventh.

The Hornets scored what proved to be the game-winning run with a three-run fourth. The final two runs in the frame came around to score when sophomore Katie Haskins' two-out fly ball to rightfield popped out of Kerri Spaulding's glove. Alicia Sanders and Ashley Ballentine, who were running from second and third on contact, scored to give the hosts a 5-0 advantage.

Freshman AJ Lekki (6-3) picked up the complete game victory – she held UMW to four hits in six innings before the Eagles scored four runs on four hits in the seventh. Three of the runs were scored with two outs and Lekki finally retired the side on a Jamie Clevenger groundout back to herself.

Sanders had two of the hosts five game two hits.

In game one, Mary Washington fought off three Shenandoah rallies and pushed across the winning run in the top of the eighth inning. Placed runner Melissa Bjorkland was sacrificed to third and after a strikeout, came home on an SU infield error.

In the bottom of the inning, the Hornets were able to get placed runner Kristen Templeton to third via sacrifice, but winning pitcher Kirsten Rowell closed out the game by striking out Mandy Reed and getting Brittany Bailey to pop to second.

Shenandoah had an excellent chance to win the contest in the bottom of the seventh – Sanders led off with a single to center, was sacrificed to second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Rowell again got out of the jam with a strikeout and a pop out.

The defensive lapses cost Haskins (4-9). Haskins gave up eight hits, but four of the six runs she allowed were unearned. She walked one and struck out four.

Both teams opened their respective scoring by combining batters hit by pitches along with errors to score unearned runs in the fourth.

Mary Washington scored a pair in the top of the frame scored on a Catherine Hull sacrifice fly and a wild pitch. Victoria Moody was hit by a pitch with one out, moved to second on Kerri Spaulding's single to right and third when Jolisa Jones couldn't handle the throw in from right.

After Moody scored on a Catherine Hull sacrifice fly, Spaulding made it 2-0 three pitches later when she scampered home on a wild pitch.

Shenandoah answered with three of its own in the bottom of the fourth – Catherine Beuerle was hit with one out and advanced to second on Kristen Templeton's single to right. Mary Washington then committed a pair of infield errors allowing Beuerle, Templeton and Lauren Wall to all score.

After the Eagles retook the lead with a two-out, three-hit rally in the fifth, SU rallied again with a Jones inside-the-park home run in its fifth turn at-bat.

The Eagles plated another run in the sixth, but the Hornets once again answered in the bottom of the frame. Neither team scored in the seventh, setting the stage for the extra-inning UMW victory.

Jones had two hits in five at-bats for the hosts.

Box Scores 

Shenandoah continues what will be an eight-game homestand tomorrow afternoon with USA South doubleheader against Christopher Newport University. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00.