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NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Senior Holly Lansberry (Curwensville, Pa./Curwensville Area) tossed a three-hit shutout to lead the Lycoming College softball team to an 11-0 win over Mount St. Mary (N.Y.) in the team’s opener on Thursday, March 7, at the National Collegiate Sports Invitational to help the team finish up the invitational with a 5-3 record. The Warriors fell in the nightcap, 4-3, to Robert Morris-Springfield.
 
Lycoming exploded for a season-high 11 runs, including seven in the third inning, while taking advantage of six Mount St. Mary (3-4 overall) errors en route to the run-rule shortened win.
 
Lansberry (2-0) was dominant in the circle, striking out nine and allowing just three hits, all in the third inning. However, she got out of that jam with a strikeout and a groundout.
 
The Warriors got on the board in the first inning, as Lansberry and senior Amy Cline (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) reached on errors. After a fly out, another error helped Lansberry score and a pair of walks, the last drawn by freshman Kristi Weaver (Milton, Pa./Milton Area), helped Cline score.
 
In the third, Cline led off with a single and senior Taylor Lesser (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) followed with a walk. After a sac bunt, sophomore Nikki Marianelli (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) loaded the bases with a walk before Weaver reached on an error to drive in Cline. A fielder’s choice that didn’t produce an out and another error helped three more runs cross before a walk reloaded the bases. A fielder’s choice drove across the fifth run of the inning before Cline and Lesser each followed with RBI singles to round out the seven-run frame.
 
In the fourth, Lycoming added two more runs, as Marianelli led off with a single and sophomore Kali Moeller (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) followed with a walk. After a groundout, sophomore Hannah Smith (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro Area) drove in both runners with a single.
 
Cline went 2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI and Marianelli added two hits, two runs and two walks for the Warriors. Smith and Weaver added two RBI and Lansberry scored twice.
 
In the nightcap, Lesser scored two runs to lead the Warriors, who held a two-run lead but surrendered three unanswered runs to fall to the Eagles, 4-3.
 
Cline drew a one-out walk and Lesser followed with a single to right field in the first inning, setting up a two-RBI single from senior Janelle Poorman (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle Area), giving the Warriors an early 2-0 lead.
 
The Eagles got a run back in the second inning, but the Warriors responded in the third, as Lesser and Poorman drew two-out walks before freshman Ashley Witmer (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) drilled a single to center to score Lesser.
 
The Eagles tied the game in the third, though, and didn’t allow a runner past second base the rest of the game. In the sixth, they scrapped together four singles, with Megan Smith capping the rally with an RBI base hit, helping them scrap across the fourth run.
 
Katie Kramer and Sarah Kwaak each had two of the 10 Eagles’ hits and Brittney Hood scored two runs.
 
Sophomore Caroline Lapano (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) (1-3) took the loss for the Warriors, allowing eight hits and three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. She struck out four. Samantha Nowicki tossed a complete game for the Eagles, allowing four hits, seven walks and three runs. She struck out two.
 
The Warriors now return to Pennsylvania and get back on the field on Tuesday, March 12, when they head to King’s (Pa.) for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.