Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
Photo Gallery

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Sophomore Janelle Poorman (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) laced a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one, helping the Lycoming College softball team clinch its first appearance in the Commonwealth  Conference playoffs in school history and the Warriors scored four sixth inning runs to secure the sweep of Widener by scores of 3-2 and 4-1 at the Shangraw Athletic Complex on Saturday, April 30.

In the first game, the Warriors (14-14 overall, 8-6 Commonwealth) rallied for their third walk-off win in five games, scoring two seventh-inning runs to clinch a playoff slot for the first time since 2005, when the team was a member of the Freedom Conference.

Sophomore Holly Lansberry (Curwensville, Pa./Curwensville Area) started the rally with a one-out walk. After a fly out, sophomore Taylor Lesser (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) drilled an RBI double to tie the game. Poorman followed with her game-winning single to left field, scoring freshman pinch-runner Amanda Conner (South Bound Brook, N.J./Somerset Vo-Tech) from second base.

The Pride (14-20 overall, 4-10 Commonwealth) scored a lone run in the first, but the Warriors escaped further damage by cutting down two runners at the plate in the frame. In the second, the Warriors tied the game as sophomore Allyson Marianelli (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) led off with a single and sophomore Bethany Garnand (Hagerstown,  Md./Smithsburg) followed with a single.  Lansberry followed with an RBI single.

The Pride took the lead in the fifth after a fifth-inning homer from Meg Phillips, setting up the late-inning heroics.

Garnand led the  Warriors by going 2-for-3 and Phillips led the Pride by going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Kelly Voegelgesang also added two hits.

Sophomore Brie Braga (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) (3-7) earned the win for the Warriors, pitching a complete-game seven-hitter. She allowed two runs and struck out six.

Kelsey Shultz pitched a complete-game for the Pride, allowing six hits and three runs. She struck out five and walked three.

The Warriors scored four runs in the second game to come-from-behind to post a 4-1 win over the Pride to finish the regular-season at .500.

Phillips scored the first run in the fifth inning, as Shultz hit a single through the right side to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

The Warriors took control in the sixth inning, as Poorman started the rally with a one-out single and senior Shauna Starr (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) followed with a single through the left side.  After a wild pitch, Braga drilled a single to right field to tie the game. Freshman Abbi Miller (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) followed with single up the middle to score the Starr and Miller moved to second on the throw. An illegal pitch brought Braga home and a passed ball helped Miller dive into home just ahead of the catcher’s tag to wrap up the scoring.

In t he top of the seventh, the Pride rallied with a pair of hits, but pitcher Lansberry got a comebacker for the second out, and Braga fired to Poorman at the plate to cut down a runner trying to score for the 1-3-2 double play to end the game.

Lansberry (10-6) pitched seven innings, allowing a run, seven hits and two walks. She struck out four. Liz Carpino (4-6) took the loss for the Pride, allowing six hits, three earned runs and a walk. She struck out one.

The Warriors wrapped up the fourth seed in the Commonwealth Conference Championship playoffs, beginning on Friday, May 6 in Reading, Pa.