Written by Lauren Roth
Many sports teams have waited almost a year, or even longer to get back into their sport, and the Roanoke softball team is no exception. The Maroons came back on campus ready to play, and their record shows it. A few weeks into their season they hold a 4-2 winning record. They have played Adrian, Ferrum, and Averett so far this season.
Their first matchup of the season came on March 5th against Adrian and Ferrum. Adrian started off strong with a lead-off double that put a runner in a scoring position. On third, a ground ball allowed Adrain to take the 1-0 lead early in the game. Rebecca Hensley led the bottom half with an infield single just before Brooke Trapuzzano was hit by a pitch. Jordyn DiFava followed and bunted to allow the runners to advance. The Maroons were boosted later in the game by Rachel Sirbaugh and Janae Henry who each had a run, making the final score 3-2 Maroons. In the second game, Roanoke lost their winning momentum and fell to Ferrum 3-8. Roanoke was able to arrive strong, scoring in the first inning, but two Ferrum runs in the second and four more in the third allowed the Panthers to walk away with a win.
The next day, the Maroons marched back to the field with a desire to win. In the first game of the day, Roanoke beat Adrian again, this time with a final score of 9-7. At the top of the third, Makayla Austin was able to send a double to left field, giving the Maroons a 3-0 lead over the visiting Panthers with runs from Jada Karnes, Rachel Sirbaugh, and Jordyn DiFava. At the top of the ninth Roanoke was able to earn four runs, bringing them to their final score of 9-7. For their second game of the day, the Maroons took on Ferrum once again. The Maroons took an early 2-0 lead but when the Panthers came back with four runs, it looked as if the Maroons might fall once again to the Panthers. However, with a rally in the bottom of the seventh, the Maroons were led by Mikayla Austin, Jada Karnes, Jordyn DiFava with three additional runs.
The team’s most recent game was a split against Averett. In the first game, Roanoke took a sound 2-0 victory. For the first five innings, the game remained scoreless, but then Brooke Trapuzzano took it home in the top of the sixth for a 1-0 advantage. In the seventh, Rachel Sirbaugh gave the team another run to win the game 2-0. In the second game, Roanoke fell to Averett 3-6. Averett arrived at the second game ready to play hard and they got three runs at the bottom of the second. They then added two more in the fourth, leading them to settle with an even split with the Maroons.
After a series of postponed games, the Maroons head into a busy weekend with games against Southern Virginia, Randolph, and Shenandoah from March 26th-28th. Be sure to see the team in action at the Moyer Complex this weekend!
