Softball Combines for Shutout in Extra Innings Win

LYNCHBURG, VA -- Richard Bland College Softball traveled up to Lynchburg to NCAA DIII Randolph College on Tuesday and came away with one win and one loss after a stellar pitching performance in the second game, combining for a one-hit, shutout in an extra-inning game.

The team is now 7-4 on the season and has been riding their hot pitching recently.  In the month of March, RBC pitching has only given up 13 earned runs during their eight games while striking out 64 batters.  The team will next play fellow Region X team, Spartanburg Methodist.  That game will be their second home series of the season and will be played on Thursday, March 12, at 12 & 2 PM.

Game 1

The first game of the two on the day made it the first time the Statesmen have seen the Wildcats on the season.  RBC struggled to find their footing behind the plate in this game as they went three up and three down in each inning until the fifth inning, where they got their only two hits of the game off back-to-back singles from Teri Jackson and Haley Godfrey.  Errors hurt the team again in this contest as the pitching only allowed two earned runs on seven hits.  Gabby Shrum and Ellen Palya shouldered the load in the circle in game one combining for seven strikeouts.  The final score of the first game ended at 7-0, Randolph.

Game 2

RBC now looked to the second game of the day to rewrite the books against Randolph.  The pitching for the Statesmen was something else in this game as Randolph did not have any answer and could not get anything more than one hit.  Rachel Watson and Ellen Palya dominated in the circle as they split the duty.  Despite their dominance, RBC was stuck in a rut behind the plate.  The two teams would go scoreless all seven innings of regulation and would go into the eighth inning tied 0-0.  The hitting would come alive for the Statesmen as Callie Humphrey knocks in the game-winning run off of a double in the top of the eighth.  Palya and Watson would shut down the Wildcats in the bottom half of the eighth to leave Lynchburg going 1-1 on the day.  Watson and Palya combined for a one-hit shutout and Humphrey went 1 for 3 with the big RBI in the eigth.