VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. --- Virginia Wesleyan University outfielder-turned-pitcher
Julia Piotrowski turned in a stellar outing in the circle and bashed the go-ahead homerun to power the Marlins to a 4-1 victory over Roanoke College in the deciding game of the 2024 ODAC Softball Championship at Tom and Betty Broyles Field at Towne Bank Park on Saturday afternoon.
Virginia Wesleyan (35-8) is now winners of 15 softball trophies, the most in conference history. The Marlins have claimed seven of the eight title awarded since 2016 with Saturday's triumph marking their third championship in four years.
VWU receives the ODAC's automatic entry to the Division III Womens' Softball Championship. The NCAA selection show is set for 11:00 a.m. ET on ncaa.com.
Roanoke (30-14) forced the winner-take-all "if necessary" final game of the best-of-three championship series with a resounding 9-4 victory in Saturday's first contest. Trailing 4-0 after three innings, the Maroons responded with four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings plus an insurance run in the seventh to offset the Marlins 6-3 triumph on Friday afternoon in game one of the series.
Kate Houle and
Lilly Burns drove in three runs apiece in game two as they combined to go 5-for-8 in the middle of RC's order to shellshock the Marlins.
In the event's final game, tournament MOP Piotrowski was the star in and out of the circle. She went the distance on the pitching plate, surrendering just one run on five hits with one walk and three punchouts.
It was Piotrowski's two-run homer in the Marlins' four-run sixth inning that put VWU ahead for good. Piotrowski, a senior, drove in the Marlins other senior,
Emily Holloway, with her blast. Leftfielder
Laci Campbell later singled in shortstop
Karley Beltran with Campbell and centerfielder
Sarah Prosser pulling off a double steal with Prosser crossing home for the final run.
It was Roanoke that got on the board first in the final game. Catcher
Leah Butts led off the third inning with a triple to right. Two batters later, she trotted home on a wild pitch for the first run and a 1-0 lead that would persist until the sixth inning.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Averett: Taylor Sullivan
- Bridgewater: Jazmyne Smith
- Guilford: outfielder Grace Calus
- Lynchburg: pitcher Kaitlyn Dorcsis
- Randolph-Macon: Amanda Lanyon
- Shenandoah: Tiffany Bower
- Roanoke: Madison Courts
- Roanoke: Kate Houle
- Roanoke: Maggie McCray
- Virginia Wesleyan: Emma Adams
- Virginia Wesleyan: Mackenzie Myers
- Virginia Wesleyan: Alison Pollack
- Virginia Wesleyan: Sarah Prosser
- Virginia Wesleyan (MOP): Julia Piotroswki