FERRUM, Virginia -- Ferrum College split an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) softball doubleheader with visiting Bridgewater College today at home. The Panthers won the opener 5-1, then dropped the nightcap 4-2 in eight innings at Vickie Van Kleeck Field.

RECORDS
Ferrum (6-14, 2-4 ODAC)
Bridgewater (13-9, 3-1 ODAC)

GAME 1
Bridgewater struck first with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Ferrum answered quickly, scoring a run in the bottom half of the frame on Mirenda Shields' infield RBI single. Emily Hopper's single to right-center in the fourth inning drove in a run, as did Emily Wood's RBI single to right in the fifth.

Carson Hogston was able to score on an error, then Hopper walked with the bases loaded to score Ferrum's final run, both in the fifth. Wood pitched a complete seven-inning game to get the win and improve to 4-5 in the circle this season. She allowed six hits and no earned runs with a walk and one strikeout. Sophia Peters went 2-4 at the plate with a double and a run.

GAME 2
Lexi Bennett grounded out to third base allowed Nicole Emerson to scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Hopper then singled to right field in the second to push another run across the plate and Ferrum held a 2-0 lead after two full innings. Bridgewater's Jazmyne Smith blasted a solo homer over the left-center fence to cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the fifth.

Lexi Schaaf had an RBI single in the top of the sixth to tie the game and eventually send it to extra innings. The Eagles scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to salvage the ODAC split. Riley Young went 2-3 with two doubles and a run.

UP NEXT
Coach Josh Freeman's team will be back in action Sunday, March 30, at home against Eastern Mennonite University. The ODAC Doubleheader is set for a 1:00 p.m. start at VVK Field.