Men’s Basketball
The Runnin’ Royals were edged out of a spot in the ODAC Tournament after losing their last five games of the season. Even after falling to Washington & Lee last Wednesday, the men were still in a four-way tie with Shenandoah, Randolph and Emory & Henry for the 10th spot in the tournament. But a 70-61 loss to Virginia Wesleyan in their regular season finale on Saturday capped off the year for the Runnin’ Royals.
Junior Tim Jones led the team’s scoring on the season with 387 points, shooting 40.2 percent from the field. Jones also led the team with 80 assists and 23 steals. Junior DJ Hill was second in scoring with 252 points, followed by junior Tie Evans’ 152 points. Hill and sophomore Josh Whelan combined for nearly 300 rebounds.
Women’s Basketball
EMU’s basketball women finished the season 4-20 overall and 3-15 in ODACs. The team missed the ODAC Tournament after dropping their final two games to Bridgewater and Roanoke. Hovering close to 10th place for weeks, the women hoped to steal the last spot in the tournament which was ultimately filled by Virginia Wesleyan.
The Royals put up a season-high 82 points in their loss to Bridgewater last Wednesday at their Senior Recognition Game, where Chrissy Delawder and Lexi Deffenbaugh were recognized for their careers with the team. Delawder, a 5’10 forward, played 100 games with EMU and started in every game in the 2019-20 season. She averaged a career-high 8.5 points per game and surpassed 200 points this year. Likewise, Deffenbaugh, a 5’8 guard, played 100 career games and started in every game this season. Deffenbaugh contributed a career-high 61 rebounds this season and tied her career-high in steals (32).
Despite dropping 82 points on their rival, Bridgewater bested the Royals with 90 points. Delawder, Deffenbaugh, junior Chloe Roach and junior Emily McCombs all topped 15 points in the rivalry. The Royals’ season came to a close with a 65-55 loss on the road at Roanoke on Saturday.
Baseball
After consecutive blowout losses, the Diamond Royals bounced back to win four straight home games over the past week. Their record sits at a healthy 7-4.
The baseball team came away from a double-header against DeSales on Saturday with a 1-1 series tie. Struggles continued for the Diamond Royals on offense and defense in their first game against DeSales, an 11-0 loss. Tied at 6-6 in Game 2 in the bottom of the 9th, sophomore Garrett Howard hit a walk-off to center field with bases loaded. Game 2 was the start of a four-game win streak where the Diamond Royals slugged 38 runs.
Nearly half of those runs came in an 18-2 dismantling of Penn State Altoona on Sunday. The Diamond Royals swept their Pennsylvanian visitors, outscoring Penn St. 25-3 in two games. Junior Brett Lindsay, senior John Judy, and junior Jacob Merica notched 2 RBIs each in the blowout. The team’s next home game is Saturday, March 14 versus Lynchburg.
Men’s Volleyball
The volleyball men are 3-4 through seven games. With the exception of their 3-1 win against St. Andrews in their season opener, every match so far has been either a 3-0 victory or defeat. The team traveled to Reading, Pa. over the weekend, and came away with a loss to Alvernia and a win against Lehman. First-year Ben Childers led the way for EMU against Lehman with 11 kills. First-year Josh White recorded three solo blocks and three block assists.
Softball
The softball team kicks off their season over spring break. They will compete in eight games at a tournament in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. between Sunday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 4. The team will have played 12 total games before their first home game on Wednesday, March 18 against Randolph-Macon.
Indoor Track & Field
EMU track & field athletes will compete in the ODAC Indoor Championships on Saturday, Feb. 29 in Salem, Va.
