Lynchburg, Va. -- University of Lynchburg softball split a double-header with Methodist Saturday. The Hornets dropped a nine-inning heartbreaker, 2-1, in the first tilt but exploded for a 9-1 win in the second. 

Emily Charlton toed the rubber in the first game and pitched all nine innings. She struck out a career-best 13 batters. 

Methodist got to Charlton with a double in the top of the third. Freshman Ruby Stewart responded for Lynchburg in the fifth and belted a towering homer, the first of her career, to left field. 

With the game tied after seven frames, Game One went to extra innings. 

In extras, each half inning started with a runner on second base. Neither team was able to advance the base runner the final 180 feet in the eighth. In the ninth, Methodist scratched the go-ahead run across without a hit. 

Addison Walter advanced Lexi Powell to third with a sacrifice bunt in the bottom half of the ninth, but the Monarchs held on for the 2-1 win. 

Methodist carried momentum into the second game and scored in the first inning. 

The Hornets were held hitless until Jordan Brown laced a single to open the bottom of the third. She later scored on a passed ball, and Walter drove in Carly Hudnall on a fielder's choice as the Hornets took a 2-1 lead. 

Lynchburg exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth and gave Kailey Dorcsis more than enough insurance on the mound. 

Sophie Tully got the merry-go-round started with a double. Kaleigh Hackett doubled in two runs, and Kinnice Turner also cashed in two RBI with a frozen rope to center field. The Hornets tallied four hits in the inning while batting around the lineup. 

Dorcsis struck out her eighth batter in the top of the fifth and secured the run-rule, 9-1 victory for Lynchburg. 

The Hornets (2-2, 0-0 ODAC) host a double-header with Averett on Sunday, Feb. 19 beginning at 12 p.m.

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--LYN--