SALEM, Va. – Sophomore Brooke Throckmorton belted a single to right field to break a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning of game two and the Bridgewater Eagles softball team held off Roanoke over the final inning and a half to salvage a doubleheader split on Monday evening against the Maroons.

Roanoke took a 3-0 lead in the opener before Bridgewater responded in the latter innings to head to the seventh at a 3-3 tie. The Maroons took the game one win on a passed ball to earn a hard fought 4-3 victory. In the nightcap, the Eagles fell behind after two innings of play but used a two-run sixth to earn a split against the Maroons with a 3-2 win.  

Taylor Sutherland got the scoring started in the first when a lead-off walk turned into a run for the Maroons. Sutherland walked and moved to second on a passed ball and was driven in later in the inning off of a Kelly Higbie single to center field to put Roanoke out in front, 1-0.

Both teams went down without a run in the second prior to the Maroons tagging two runs on the board to build a 3-0 lead after three complete. Again it was Sutherland getting the offense rolling for the Maroons, this time with a single to open the third. Sutherland later swiped second and was driven in on a single from Higbie to build a 2-0 Roanoke advantage. Stephanie Clark followed with a fielder's choice to reach first and was then pushed home on a single from Emily Lawrence to build a three-run lead for the Maroons.

After three no-hit innings from Higbie, the Eagles finally got a base hit and took the zero off of the scoreboard when freshman Samantha Fridley belted a solo shot with one away in the fourth to trim the Roanoke lead to 3-1.

Bridgewater (12-5, 4-3 ODAC) starter Brianna Cox settled in over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and got her way out of a mini-jam in the sixth after the Eagles scored the tying runs in the top of the sixth. Cox belted a single to score Kasey Anderson and Throckmorton followed with a single to drive home Lauren Jenkins as the Eagles knotted the game up at a 3-3 tally.

Pinch hitter Amanda Lutz belted a single to open the inning and was replaced on the base paths by sophomore Elizabeth Keech. Keech moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and was moved to third on a groundout but Higbie got out of the inning unscathed to send the game to the bottom of the seventh at a 3-3 deadlock.

Rhea Schleicher singled to right to open the inning and stole second to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. Later in the inning, Schleicher advanced to third on an infield error before Higbie drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Schleicher then scored on a passed ball to end the game, handing the Maroons a 4-3 win.

Five different players scattered a hit for the Eagles in the loss, while Cox picked up the loss in the circle after allowing four runs on nine hits.

Higbie and Clark each went 2-for-3 while it was Higbie leading the way with two RBI. The junior also secured the win after allowing two runs on five hits.

In the second game, Bridgewater got on the scoreboard first with a single run in the top of the first. Anderson reached on an error and swiped second base to put the leadoff runner in scoring position. After a groundout pushed Anderson to third and Fridley drew a one-out walk, Cox ripped a single to left field which scored Anderson to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Roanoke (7-12, 3-3 ODAC) took the lead in the bottom of the second on a Jordan Meader two-run homer to take a 2-1 lead after two complete.

Both teams settled in over the middle innings before the Eagles took the lead for good in the top of the sixth. Anderson singled from her leadoff post and advanced to second on an error on the pitcher. Cox followed by reaching base on an error which allowed Anderson to score to tie the game up at two runs each. Throckmorton followed with a single to right field, scoring Fridley in the process to build a 3-2 Bridgewater lead.

Roanoke stranded a runner at third base in the sixth and starting pitcher Amanda Lutz put the Maroons side down in order in the seventh to secure the win and a split in a key Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) twinbill.

Cox led four players with a hit each in the nightcap as the Bumpass, Va. native drove in two runs in the victory. Jenkins failed to record a hit in the nightcap, ending her hitting streak at 17 games.  

Lutz earned her fifth win of the year after allowing two runs on just three hits in a complete-game effort.

Meader led the Roanoke offense with two RBI in a 1-for-3 effort while Clark was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs on four hits.

Bridgewater returns to action on Tuesday with an ODAC doubleheader at Shenandoah. Start time against the Hornets is set for 5 p.m.