GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Guilford College softball team (18-21-1, 8-12 ODAC) entered their final matchup of the regular season, battling it out against Eastern Mennonite University (6-28, 2-18 ODAC) in a pivotal softball clash with the Quakers sealing a game one comeback victory, 5-4, while taking control late in the fourth of the rubber match before rain rolled in to close a 5-2 decision in favor of Guilford through five innings on Saturday afternoon at Haworth Field.
Pregame, the Quakers recognized seniors,
Dillon Northen (Kernersville, N.C.),
Logan Monkus (Matthews, N.C.),
Nicole Gumula (Wellington, Fla.),
Arden Finney (Boonville, N.C.),
Kelsey Buie (Lexington, N.C.),
Morgan Singletary (Laurel Hill, N.C.),
Kaylyn Little (Locust, N.C.), and graduate students
Shiloh Gray (Lexington, N.C.), and
Cassie Turner (Burlington, N.C.) for their contributions and efforts as members of the Guilford College softball program.
Shiloh Gray (Lexington, N.C.) landed the game one start for the Quakers in the circle, tossing the 54th complete game of her collegiate career in 7.0 frames, allowing four runs off four hits, one walk, while striking out six for the win, advancing to 6-6 on the year.
Haley Lambert drew the start for Eastern Mennonite in the opener, pitching 4.0 innings, surrendering three earned runs off four hits, four walks, and striking two in the process. Jordan Lane entered in relief for the Royals, unable to close things out in 2.0 frames, surrendering two earned runs off two hits, three walks, striking out two for the loss, falling to 1-11 overall.
Kalissa Williams (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) continued her perfection at the dish for the Quakers, bashing 2-for-2, with two runs, one RBI, two walks, and one stolen base.
Kaylee Harris (Mooresville, N.C.) followed suit with a 2-for-3 showing of her own with one run batted in.
Brooke Goyings (Lake Villa, Ill.) displayed speed around the bases offensively in her 1-for-2 outing with two walks, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.
Meaghan Dean and Payton Keesee topped the Royals offensively at the plate, each slashing 1-for-3 and scoring once in the process. Maggie Mayhew matched Dean and Keesee with a 1-for-3 display with one run batted in.
Dillon Northen (Kernersville, N.C.) started in game two for Guilford in the circle, pitching 5.0 innings, surrendering two earned runs off seven hits, striking out two for the win, advancing to 6-2 on the season. All time, Northen makes her 68th career appearance, passing
Katie McNeill '21 to advance to sixth all-time in program history.
Jordan Lane received the nod for Eastern Mennonite in the circle for game two, struggling to find her footing in 4.2 innings of action, dropping five runs, four earned, off nine hits, two walks, striking out one batter for the loss, falling 1-12 overall. Meaghan Dean entered briefly in relief for the Royals, only allowing one walk in 0.1 inning of action.
Savannah Newton (Concord, N.C.) ranked ahead for Guilford from her offensive display, slashing 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Shiloh Gray (Lexington, N.C.) and
Arden Finney (Boonville, N.C.) each bashed 1-for-3 throughout the rubber match, each scoring once with Gray batting one runner in and Finney sending home two.
Hannah Johnston and Brooke Morris logged 2-for-2 outings for Eastern Mennonite, with Johnston recording a run in the process.
GAME 1
Hannah Johnston cashed in the first run for Eastern Mennonite by reaching first on an error by Guilford early in the first inning. Maggie Mayhew followed suit with an RBI single of her own, before adding another run for the Royals off her stolen base, scoring Johnston to give Eastern Mennonite an early 3-0 lead.
Guilford matched the Royals in scoring throughout the bottom of the first, beginning with
Shiloh Gray's (Lexington, N.C.) sac-fly to cut Guilford's deficit to two.
Kaylee Harris (Mooresville, N.C.) followed suit with an RBI single before
Chloee Stoner (Salisbury, N.C.) sent one more Guilford runner home off a sac-fly to tie up the contest, 3-3, through one inning.
Destiny Jones was able to salvage one more run for Eastern Mennonite off a sac-fly in the fifth, giving the Royals a 4-3 lead.
Kalissa Williams (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) matched EMU's offensive production with a single of her own to score a run off the Royals' throwing error, tying the clash up at four runs apiece.
Shiloh Gray (Lexington, N.C.) put the battle on ice with her sac-fly in the bottom of the fifth with no more runs scored during the rest of the contest to result in a 5-4 decision in favor of the Quakers.
GAME 2
After a scoreless first inning, Aspen Jones sent a single up the middle for Eastern Mennonite to take a 1-0 lead in the second.
Savannah Newton (Concord, N.C.) matched that tally in the third for Guilford, sending home
Kelsey Buie (Lexington, N.C.) to tie the clash at one run between the two squads.
Aspen Jones drove a sac-fly to center field in the fourth, scoring one to extend the Royals' lead, 2-1.
Logan Monkus (Matthews, N.C.) singled off a bunt in the bottom of the fourth, scoring one off the error by Lane to keep the Quakers in the game.
Shiloh Gray (Lexington, N.C.) began the bottom of the fifth with an RBI-single into right field before
Arden Finney (Boonville, N.C.) closed the Senior Day sweep with a 2-RBI single to give Guilford a 5-2 lead. That score would stand as the rubber match would be called through five innings due to rain, leading to the 5-2 result in favor of the Quakers.
Guilford advances to the ODAC Tournament for the first time since the 2024 Season, their 16th tournament appearance in program history. The Quakers will await who they are slated to clash against in pool-play during the ODAC Tournament on Friday, May 1st, through Sunday, May 3rd, at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.
#GoQuakes
