VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (COURTESY OF VIRGINIA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS) The Virginia Wesleyan University softball team (34-8, 20-2 ODAC) were crowned ODAC Champions after defeating Roanoke 4-1 in game three. The Marlins were defeated in game two 9-4 that forced game three in the 2024 Softball ODAC Championship Finals.
2024 ODAC All-Tournament Team:
Averett: Taylor Sullivan
Bridgewater: Jazmyn Smith
Guilford: Grace Calus
Lynchburg: Kaitlyn Dorcsis
Randolph-Macon: Amanda Lanyon
Shenandoah: Tiffany Bower
Runner-Up: #8 Kate Houle
Runner-Up: #88 Madison Courts
Runner-Up: #16 Maggie McCray
Champion: #36 Emma Adams
Champion: #31 Sarah Prosser
Champion: #23 Alison Pollack
Champion: #1 Mackenzie Myer
Most Outstanding Player: #19 Julia Piotrowski
Game Two:
A defensive stand in game two, as neither team scored in the first two innings of play. Roanoke scored in the top of the third off a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
The Marlins offense was kept in check for five innings until the sixth inning when Emma Adams hit a lead-off single through the left side and pinch runner Emily Halloway stole second. Two batters later Julia Piotrowski hit a home run to left field to take a 2-1 lead over the Maroons. Then, Karley Beltran singled to right field and stole second, Sarah Prosser singled to left field to put runners on the corners before Laci Campbell singled up the middle to score Beltran from third to put the Marlins up 3-1. With runners on first and third a double steal play scored Prosser to seal the 4-1 win over Roanoke and win the 2024 Softball ODAC Championship Tournament.
Julia Piotrowski led the team going 2-for-3, with a go-ahead two-run homer to left field and pitched a 7.0 inning complete game, allowing five hits, and one run, and registering three strikeouts.
Joslyn Woodard was 2-for-3 with a triple, Sarah Prosser was 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, and Laci Campbell was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Game One:
The Marlins got on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the second. Olivia Knight walked as the lead-off runner, Joslyn Woodard singled to put runners on the corners, and Julia Piotrowski singled to left field to score Knight from third. Sarah Prosser reached first on a fielder’s choice, and Laci Campbell singled up the middle to score Woodard from third.
VWU extended their lead in the third inning with two more runs. Alison Pollack walked to begin the inning, Emma Adams walked to put runners on first and second, and Piotrowski singled down the left field line to score pinch runner Sam Smith from second. With runners on the corners, a double steal from Piotrowski and McKenzie Dewhurst scored Dewhurst from third to take a 4-0 lead.
The Maroons’ offense exploded in the fifth inning scoring four runs off four hits to tie the game at 4-4. Roanoke kept up the pressure in the sixth scoring four runs on three hits to lead 8-4. The visitors added one more run in the seventh to seal the 9-4 win.
Julia Piotrowski led the offense going 2-for-2 with two RBI and a stolen base, Laci Campbell was 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Joslyn Woodard was 1-for-3 and scored one run.
Emma Adams pitched 5.1 innings, allowed 11 hits, eight runs, and had two strikeouts.