Ferrum, Va. -- University of Lynchburg's softball team held on late to cinch a doubleheader sweep of Old Dominion Athletic Conference foe Ferrum on the road Monday, winning by scores of 7-0 and 10-9. The nightcap took eight innings to decide.

Bri Hodges had four hits and drove in six runs (including a grand slam) for the Hornets, Sophie Tully had three hits and four RBI, and Emily Charlton tossed a seven-hit shutout.

Lynchburg put the opener out of reach in the early going, scoring four times in the top of the first inning. Lexi Powell got the Hornets started with a leadoff single and came around to score on Hodges' RBI single. Two batter later, Gracie Dooley drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0 Hornets, and then Kaleigh Hackett rapped a two-run single to put the visitors comfortably ahead.

That would be all Charlton needed. The freshman left-hander struck out five Panthers to earn her first-career shutout.

Later on, Lynchburg added runs on an RBI single by Tully, a steal of home by Kayla Hugate, and an RBI double off the bat of Karle Cundiff.

In Game 2, FC leapt out to a 4-1 lead in the first inning and maintained the lead until the fifth, when the Hornets erupted for eight runs. Tully started the rally with a leadoff single, which Ashley Hailey followed with a walk. After an out, Hugate drew a walk to load the bases. Then Hodges slugged a grand slam to center field to put Lynchburg out in front. The Hornets appeared to break the game open with a three-run double from Tully and an RBI single by Powell to lead 9-4.

Ferrum had other thoughts. The Panthers rallied for five runs in the bottom of seventh to send the game into extra innings. Lynchburg took the lead in the eighth on Hodges' sacrifice fly, and the Hornet defense cut down the would-be tying run at home in the bottom half to seal the victory.

Lynchburg, winners of five of their last six, improved to 19-11 on the season and 9-1 in ODAC play. The Hornets will continue the conference schedule on the road Wednesday with a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Roanoke.

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--LYN--