ASHLAND, Va. - Stevenson softball senior Kristin Urban (Timonium, Md./Mercy) totaled two of the team's eight hits on the day, but the team fell victim to strong pitching as Randolph-Macon out-dueled the Mustangs in posting two extra-inning victories in sweeping a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday.
Stevenson (8-12) has now lost three-straight games, all by one run. The last four meetings with the Yellow Jackets in 2011 and 2012 have all come by one run. The Mustangs won both games a year ago in Ashland by 1-0 margins.
After a scoreless seven innings in game one, Stevenson struck first in top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by freshman Stephanie Ayres (Upper Marlboro, Md./Bishop McNamara) that scored senior Brittani Rynkowski (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll).
However, Randolph-Macon would tie the game in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI-double by Kelly Beard that scored Paige Wernig.
The Yellow Jackets (13-7) would then win the game with one out in the bottom of the ninth when Carolyn Gilbertson grounded out to shortstop to score Sharese Jarvis from third.
Urban went 2-for-4 in the opener while junior Sara DiMeglio (Spotswood, N.J./Spotswood) was 1-for-3.
Freshman Briana Pichalski (Port Reading, N.J./Woodbridge) suffered her first loss since March 15 despite not allowing any earned runs, striking out five and scattering six hits over 8.2 innings.
Beard allowed just five hits and struck out four over 9.0 innings for Randolph-Macon. She was also 1-for-4 at the plate.
Pitching was again the story in game two as Stevenson freshman Katie Diller (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) squared off against Heather Lewis. Like game one, neither pitcher allowed a run through the first seven innings as they surrendered just nine hits and allowed only five runners into scoring position.
After the Mustangs could not drive in the game's first run from third with out out in the top of the eighth, Randolph-Macon won the game in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, walk-off single to left by Beard that scored Lacey Berry from second.
Lewis earned the complete-game shutout for the Yellow Jackets, surrendering just three hits.
Diller dropped her second-straight decision by only one run as she scattered seven hits and did not allow an earned run over 7.2 innings while striking out five.
Stevenson is now 2-2 in extra-inning games this season and Randolph-Macon is 8-2 at home.
DiMeglio was the only Mustang to have a hit in both games as she also went 1-for-3 in the second. Ayres and reigning CAC Player of the Week, senior Lisa Bilski (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) were also 1-for-3.
Stevenson returns home to face defending CAC champion and No. 20 Salisbury on Friday at Weinberg-Fine Stadium. First pitch is at 3:00 p.m.
