Salem, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg softball team opened postseason play with a split on the first day of ODAC pod play. The No. 4-seeded Hornets defeated No. 5 Shenandoah 11-5 before falling to No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan in a tight 2-1 contest.

In their first matchup of the day, Lynchburg faced a Shenandoah squad that had previously swept them in two close games earlier this season.

Shenandoah struck first with a solo home run in the top of the first, taking an early lead.

But Lynchburg's bats responded immediately and emphatically in the bottom half of the frame. Madison Barnes delivered a 2-RBI double to left center, scoring Carly Hudnall and Alyssa  Talayumptewa. Kaleigh Hackett followed with an RBI single to bring in Barnes. Then, a Bri Hodge extra-base hit plated Hackett, and Lexi Powell capped the explosive inning with an RBI single to give the Hornets a commanding 5-1 lead.

After racking up six hits in the opening frame, Lynchburg kept rolling in the second. Sarah Watts added another run with a double—Lynchburg's third of the game—before Barnes recorded her third RBI with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.

Shenandoah's offense came alive in the third, scoring three runs to cut the deficit to 7-4. However, Lynchburg answered right back in the bottom half. Three walks loaded the bases, setting up  Talayumptewa's clutch 2-RBI single down the right side. A throwing error on the play brought in a third run, widening the margin to 10-4.

Pitcher Kailey Dorcsis and the Lynchburg defense held off Shenandoah the rest of the way. Both teams added a run in the fifth, but Shenandoah couldn't string together the hits needed to mount a comeback.

Lynchburg earned an emphatic 11-5 win and advanced to face top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan later that evening.

Virginia Wesleyan entered the contest after a dominant 9-1, five-inning victory over No. 8 Averett.

Both teams appeared poised for another high-scoring game, and Lynchburg jumped ahead in the first inning. After a Watts single moved Hudnall into scoring position, Talayumptewa drove her in with a fielder's choice, giving Lynchburg a 1-0 lead.

However, that opening-inning hit was one of just three for the Hornets in the game.

Dorcsis held the Marlins scoreless through two innings, but Virginia Wesleyan tied the game in the third. After loading the bases with no outs, a fielder's choice followed by back-to-back strikeouts resulted in a 1-1 score.

Lynchburg's offense stalled, going three up, three down in three consecutive innings. Meanwhile, Virginia Wesleyan broke the tie in the fifth, stringing together consecutive hits to take a 2-1 lead.

The Hornets made one final push in the seventh. Hodge led off with a single, and pinch runner Zoe Elliot advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Alex Love followed with a single to left, putting runners at the corners with one out.

Powell then hit a dribbler back to the circle, which pitcher Hanna Bible fielded cleanly and flipped home to tag out Elliot for the second out. With runners on first and second, Hudnall slapped a ball between second and short, but a runner's interference call ended Lynchburg's rally and the game.

With Averett upsetting Shenandoah later in the day, the Hornets will now face the Cougars tomorrow for a chance to earn a rematch with Virginia Wesleyan.

Lynchburg plays at 1 p.m., with a potential second game scheduled for 4 p.m.

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