Shepherd College Athletics

RAMS GO 1-1 IN FIRST DAY WVIAC TOURNAMENT ACTION

VIENNA, WV--Shepherd University went 1-1 in first day action of the WVIAC Softball Tournament in Vienna. The Rams handed Davis & Elkins a 7-1 loss and then dropped a 3-0 decision to Wheeling Jesuit in their second contest.

Shepherd broke loose with six runs in the fourth inning against the Senators to gain the win.

JoJo Small (Old Fields, WV/Frankfort HS), Brooke Small (Herndon, VA/Herndon HS), Jenn Canby (Martinsburg, WV/Martinsburg HS), and Mia Zappacosta (Owings Mills, MD/McDonogh HS) each had a pair of hits to pace the Ram attack.

Zappacosta fanned seven and did not allow a walk en route to her 10th win of the year. Mandy Alton took the loss for Davis & Elkins.

Shawna Clark's two-out, bases-loaded double snapped a sixth inning scoreless tie and accounted for all of the runs in the game as Wheeling Jesuit got past Shepherd in the second game. Ashley Rawson earned her second win of the day as she fanned seven in a three-hit shutout.

Karen Burnette (Yorktown, VA/Tabb HS) carried a no-hitter into the sixth as she retired 16 of the first 17 Cardinal hitter. Burnette struck out a career-best nine hitters in the loss.

Erin Donovan snapped Burnette's no-hit bid with a one-out single in the sixth. Stevie Goist followed with another single, and Lakisha Jones drew a free pass to set up Clark's heroics.

Shepherd moves to 24-21 overall. The Rams will face the winner of the WVU-Tech-West Liberty game at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.

Davis & Elkins 000 100 0 1 3 1

Shepherd 000 611 X 7 10 0

WP: Zappacosta (10-5)

LP: Alton (6-14)

Shepherd 000 000 0 0 3 0

Wheeling Jesuit 000 003 x 3 2 0

WP: Rawson (16-13)

LP: Burnette (5-8)