If you asked someone if they remembered the "Kailey Dorcsis Game" from this year, they'd probably ask you, "which one?"

If you quizzed someone on the game that Sarah Watts carried the team to victory with a home run…again, there would be several examples.

An Emily Charlton game? Maybe her best showing is her 3 2/3 scoreless relief innings into extras against No. 12 Virginia Wesleyan, but with her 1.85 ERA and 9-1 record, you still have a lot of games to choose from. 

The Lynchburg softball has a lot of different ways to win whether it's a Dorcsis shutout, a Watts 4-4 performance, or a game where Charlton comes on in relief and just erases hitters. And that's all backed up by Lynchburg's 27 wins this season and a nine-game winning streak to begin the year. Want a little more credibility? How about head coach Dawn Simmons' 700th career win earlier this year? 

The Hornets haven't won an Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship since 2009, but they have made four NCAA Tournament appearances including two runs to a regional championship since then. The quest for conference-title No. 7 begins Friday, May 3 against Bridgewater in Virginia Beach, Va. with Shenandoah and Virginia Wesleyan on site in the pool as well. 

The Hornets need to escape the double-elimination bracket in order to advance to the championship next weekend. Lynchburg has beaten all three teams in its pod, sweeping Shenandoah and splitting with Bridgewater and Va. Wesleyan. 

The formula? Well we already touched on the fact that Dorcsis has shut out opponents in 25% of her starts, and she literally allows less than a walk and a hit per inning. But if Carly Hudnall and her .426 on-base percentage just happens to not get on so Sarah Watts can drive her in for an early Lynchburg lead, the rest of the lineup is loaded with four hitters hitting above .300 and Alyssa Talayumptewa who has walked 15 times and leads the team with 22 RBI. 

Bridgewater comes in riding a six-game losing streak, Virginia Welseyan did win a national championship in recent memory, but the Hornets have proved them to not be invincible, and Lynchburg beat Shenandoah 2-0 and 4-2 during the regular season. So, as we said, the recipe for success is laid out in front of the Hornets. It'll be fun to see if they can take care of business, but if Dorcsis, Charlton, Watts, or any of the other players emerge as heroes, no one will be surprised. 

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--LYN--