ASHLAND, Va. - Softball's campaign came to an end at Carol Estes Park after falling to third-seeded Randolph-Macon College, 5-4, in the second to last game of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament. The Quakers overall finish third in the series, just short of playing in the final. A fantastic run and great effort all year, this loss concludes the team's 2024 season.
Today's defeat leaves the Quakers with a final record of 19-24, in conference play 10-12. Randolph Macon advances to the Pod Final against Roanoke College, taking place tomorrow, April 5 with a start time of 12 p.m. ET.
Guilford's
Shiloh Gray (Lexington, N.C.) pitched for the game in full, with a decent performance overall. Upon 10 hits for R-MC, five resulted in runs. Gray allowed one walk, struck out one, and took the pitching loss, her record falling to 10-8.
The Quaker's offense had a huge fourth inning, scoring four runs and taking the lead. However, this excitement and momentum did not carry through to the end of the match.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Randolph-Macon entered this game with fire, after coming away from their previous contest against Roanoke College with a loss. With elimination on the line for both squads, R-MC opened the first inning with two runs on the board, one earned and one unearned. Then, the Yellow Jackets hammered a ball out of the park in the third inning, tagging on another run. The score stood at 3-0.
The fourth inning is where things took a turn for the Quakers, coming in as the underdog, they reclaimed the lead, scoring four runs.
Grace Calus (Creedmoor, N.C.) started it off with a double down the left field line. After
Chloee Stoner (Salisbury, N.C.) singled to right center, Calus booked it for third, and then scored on a throw as Stoner stole second.
Later in the inning, another double was hit by
Morgan Kinney (Browns Summit, N.C.) putting the gears in action for the Quakers. This resulted in
Nicole Gumula (Wellington, Fla.), who was pinch running for Gray, to make it around the diamond. Following Gumula's run,
Faith Fennell (Buena Park, Calif.) singled on a bunt, en route to both
Lani Procell (Orlando, Fla.) who was pinch running for Kinney, and
Kaci Johnson (Winterville, N.C.) to make it to home plate. Overjoyed, the Quakers now inched ahead 4-3.
This joy was short lived as the Yellow Jackets tagged on one run in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Quakers were unable to make a comeback against their upper-seed opponent, falling, 5-4.
This concludes Guilford's run in the 2024 Softball ODAC Tournament. Coming close, but not close enough, the Quakers return home, as their season comes to a close.
#GoQuakes
