Softball falters in doubleheader at CNU

Photo by Josiah Garber

Tessa Grubb has completed 13 of 15 games that she has pitched in this season. Her 52 strikeouts are sixth in the ODAC and her .362 batting average, two triples, and 16 runs scored are among the team leaders.

The Eastern Mennonite University ladies softball team is looking to improve its 8-15 record after falling in two games to Christopher Newport University.

The Royals have had their share of wins and losses this past week, being defeated Tuesday in two games at Christopher Newport University by scores of 5-0 and 9-0. The Royals were kept quiet at the plate with center-fielder Sabrina Tusing gaining the only two hits in the first game and pitcher Tessa Grubb and short-stop Ti’Sha Scruggs getting the only two hits in the second game.

While falling to CNU, the Royals shocked Emory and Henry College on Saturday by overcoming the ODAC foe in the first of two games by a score of 3-2.

The Royals’ solid defense played an integral part in the win while battling with E&H pitcher Julia Molenaar in the batter’s box. Pitcher Tessa Grubb started the Royals off with a bang when she sent one over the right-field wall for a homerun during the Royals first at-bat. Grubb then singled in the fourth inning to add another hit in the first of the doubleheader. Also leading the Royals in hitting were short-stop Ti’Sha Scruggs and right-fielder Elisa Wolf, both with two hits, and Tusing with one hit. Grubb, Wolf, and left-fielder Rebecca Stutzman all had RBIs.

After a parent appreciation presentation between games, the Royals headed back out on the field for the second game, but failed to keep the momentum from game one. EMU fell to E&H 0-11 with Wasp pitcher Sarah Caldwell allowing only one hit for the entirety of the game by Grubb.

The Royals are currently in sixth place in Old Dominion Athletic Conference standings and hold an ODAC record of 4-6. The team heads to Mary Baldwin College Friday to take on the Fighting Squirrels in a non-conference game.