For immediate release – 4/24/2015 - #437
Hornet Softball Advances in ODAC Tourney with 4-3 win over EMU

SALEM, VA – Freshman Leslie Bourgeois powered the second-seeded Lynchburg College softball team to a 4-3 win over #7 Eastern Mennonite University Friday afternoon in the Hornets first game of the 2015 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament at the James I Moyer Complex. The Hornets move on in the winner's bracket to face off with #3 Roanoke College at 7 p.m. tonight in the double-elimination format.

The Royals got on the board first with a single run in the top of the opening frame, but LC countered with a pair in the bottom of the inning. The first at bat of the tournament for Lynchburg was a triple to right center by senior Jessi Hall, who scored on a single by Kayla St. John. Bourgeois later tripled down the right field line to plate St. John.

The Hornets added to the lead in the bottom of the third. Danielle Powell and Amber Ingram drew one out walks, and Bourgeois singled to score Powell and send Ingram to third base. A wild pitch later in the inning brought the score to 4-1.

Nicolette Cuevas doubled for EMU in the top of the fourth to make the score 4-2. EMU threathened in the top of the seventh, scoring a run and had two runners on with two outs. Head coach Dawn Simmons called on freshman Conner English out of the bullpen and English got out of the jam wih a strikeout to earn the save. Freshman Kirsten Copley earned the win with 3.1 innings of relief, scattering four hits with one earned run and four strikeouts.

Lynchburg's middle infield tandem of Bourgeois and Nicole Riley each had two hits.

Roanoke defeated #6 Emory & Henry 3-1 earlier in the day, while top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan and #4 Randolp-Macon Colleges also won to move on in the winner's bracket.