WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University softball team celebrated its Senior Day Saturday by splitting an ODAC doubleheader with Emory and Henry.
Shenandoah (10-20, 5-11 ODAC) was a 6-5 winner in game one before E&H (21-9, 7-5) salvaged the split with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap.
In game one, senior Haley Koeninger played the hero as she drove home placed runner Breanne Smith with the game-winning run on a single down the right field line with two outs in the bottom of the 10th.
Koeninger was in position to get that game-winning RBI as shortstop Makaela Dawkins cut down her counterpart, Danielle Loving, at home plate for the second out in the top of the 10th to keep the score tied at 5-5.
Rachel Smoot had hit a ball into the hole that Dawkins backhanded and fired home, where catcher Karli Rorabaugh tagged out the sliding Loving.
After the Wasps scored one run in the first, SU took the lead with three in the second and held that lead until E&H scored two in the top of the sixth.
Another senior, Ashlyn Drake, tied it for the Hornets in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out double to left-center to score Smith from first. Smith had reached on a fielder's choice that eliminated Casey Webb at second.
Katherine Seidl (4-12) got the win with 6.0 innings of relief work. She struck out three and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits.
In game two, the two teams traded runs in the fourth and Emory & Henry got the game-winner in the sixth thanks to a single, sacrifice, passed ball and infield hit.
Shenandoah had the game-tying run in scoring position in the bottom of seventh before E&H was able to get a strikeout and a groundout to preserve the victory.
Seidl pitched three innings of relief in game two, taking the loss after allowing one run on four hits.
Smith and Lindsay Corbin both had two hits in the nightcap.
SU takes to the road tomorrow to face Catholic in a non-league doubleheader beginning at 1:00.
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