AMHERST, MA – Defending national champion Virginia Wesleyan produced two key hits plus a four-hit shutout by a 20-game winner in defeating the University of Rochester, 2-0, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Softball Championships at Amherst College on Friday afternoon.
 
Rochester's loss is just its second since the middle of March. The Yellowjackets stand at 26-14. They will play in an elimination game at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday against host Amherst (ranked #22 in the current poll). Amherst lost, 6-1, to Husson College of Maine late Friday afternoon.
 
As for the Marlins, they raised their record to 34-11. Sophomore Emily Seale pitched a four-hitter with one hit batsman and two strikeouts. It is Seale's fifth solo shutout this year. VWU scored one run in the first inning, then added an insurance run with a solo HR in the sixth. The Marlins got two hits (both first-inning) off Emily Sharlach and three hits against Lauren Keys. Sharlach allowed just the two hits, one earned run, and one hit batsman. She escaped a first-inning jam after the first three hitters got on base and one run crossed the plate.
 
Keys relieved in the second inning. In five innings overall, she allowed three hits (two singles in the fifth and the insurance home run in the sixth). She struck out one and didn't walk anyone.
 
Offensively, Ally Kim had two singles and stole two bases. Hunter Gilbreath had a double in the second. VWU, which came into the game with 126 successful steals in 144 attempts, tried only one steal. Gilbreath threw out Mackenzie Myers in the fourth inning and the Marlins didn't try again.
 
Virginia Wesleyan scored a quick run in the first. Arianna Rolle singled and advanced when Maria Weddle was hit by a pitch. Julia Sinnett ripped a single down the left field line that scored Rolle. Sharlach retired three in a row on a flyout, a popup, and a line drive to third base.
 
Rochester threatened in the second, the third, and the sixth. In the second, Gilbreath hit a one-out double down the left field line. After a popup, Madi Turner was hit by a pitch. Molly Mason tried to loop a single into short left center, but VWU shortstop Halee Hawkins made a nice running catch to end the inning. In the third, Alexis Klee and Kim hit back to back singles. Bailey Nicholoff flied out to center and both runners advanced. Hannah Keiper flied out to right. Klee tried to tag and score, but rightfielder Weddle threw her out at the plate to complete the double play.
 
Kim singled leading off the sixth. She stole second with Nicholoff at bat. A sac bunt attempt failed when Nicholoff was struck by her own batted ball. She was called out. Seale struck out Keiper. With Bryce West at bat, the first pitch was wide and Kim took off for third. The umpires originally ruled her out at third (ending the inning), but regrouped to talk about it and put her on third. West drove the next pitch to deep center where it was caught shy of the warning track by Rolle to end the inning. In the Marlin half, Karlee Fretz homered over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead.