Box Score
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Sophomore lefty Emma Adams pitched a complete-game four-hitter without walking a batter as top-seed and No. 8 nationally-ranked host Virginia Wesleyan University downed fourth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University by a score of 6-1 in an opening-round game of the NCAA Division III Virginia Beach Softball Regional Thursday afternoon at Broyles Field.
Eastern (23-17-1) plays an elimination game Friday at 1:30 p.m. against the loser of Thursday's second first-round game between second-seeded Lebanon Valley College (33-8) and third-seeded Gettysburg College (28-11).
Trailing 3-0, Eastern scored its only run in cutting the margin to two runs in the top of the fifth inning on a leadoff single by junior second baseman
Maddi Sauve (Mansfield), a sacrifice bunt by sophomore catcher
Maddy Bowen (Hudson, NH) and a two-out RBI single by senior outfielder
Sarah Remillard (Grafton, MA).
Adams, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Pitcher-of-the-Year struck out four in winning her 20
th game in 22 decisions and also had two hits and two RBI to power the Marlins to their 21
st home win in 23 games.
Eastern graduate pitcher
Alyssa Vilchez (Brampton, ON) (20-9) pitched her 22
nd straight complete game, allowing eight hits. A walk and two hits to lead off the second inning and Joslyn Woodard's sacrifice fly gave the Marlins an early 2-0 lead and the hosts added another run by scoring in the third inning after there were two out and none on, with Olivia Knight's single driving in the team's third run.
Vilchez (20-9) struck out two and walked six while Sauve had two of Eastern's four hits off Adams.
Eastern faced Lebanon Valley twice in the Annville, PA Regional last year, winning the opening game of the tournament, 3-1 behind
Carley Stoker's one-hitter before being eliminated the next day, 3-2. Eastern and Gettysburg have met once, with the Warriors riding Morgan Bolduc's two-hitter to a 3-0 win in the 2019 season-opener at Winter Haven, FL. The Warriors went on to the national tournament that season.
