WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Senior
Dominique Thomas (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area), junior
Morgan Kunes (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) and sophomore
Rachael Shady (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) each collected three hits to lead the Lycoming College softball team on Thursday, March 24, but York College (Pa.) hit its way to a non-conference, doubleheader sweep, 18-8 in eight innings in the first game and 5-0 in a night-shortened nightcap, at the Shangraw Athletic Complex.
In the first game, Melissa Jurkiewicz (7-2) threw a complete game as the Spartans (13-5 overall) were able to put together a 10-run eighth inning to get past the Warriors in extra innings.
The Warriors (9-6 overall) got on the board with four runs in the first when senior
Kristi Weaver (Milton, Pa./Milton Area) reached on a fielder's choice to first to drive in senior
Elisa Novak (Ambler, Pa./Germantown Academy). After Kunes doubled to drive in two runs, sophomore
Heather Secord (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown Area) capped off the first-inning scoring with an RBI double to score Kunes.
The Spartans came back and scored one run on two errors in the second and then took the lead with five runs in the fourth inning. The Warriors responded, though, in the bottom half of the fourth, as sophomore
Ashley Schoenstadt (Gap, Pa./Pequea Valley) drove in Thomas with a groundout, followed by a sacrifice fly by Novak to score sophomore
Samantha Fischer (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) to tie the game at six.
In the sixth, freshman
Rachel Duda (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) reached on a fielder's choice and Schoenstadt reached on an infield single, Duda scored on a wild pitch. Novak then lifted a fly ball to shallow right field, which allowed Schoenstadt to score from third. The Spartans responded by scoring two in the seventh on three hits, with a triple from Jurkiewicz tying the game. In the eighth, York scored 10 runs in the eighth inning on eight hits, as the first 11 batters reached in the frame.
The Warriors scratched out 11 hits in the first game, led by a 3-for-4, one-run performance from Thomas, and a 2-for-4 game with a run, two RBI and two doubles from Kunes. Shady also went 2-for-4 with a run and pair of doubles.
Freshman
Liz Nace (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) (0-1) took the loss for Lycoming, as she came on in relief in the seventh inning. Shady finished the game with seven innings pitched, allowing nine hits and nine walks to go with four strikeouts.
The Spartans were led by Jenny Coyle (2-0) in the second game, as she threw a six-inning shutout, surrendering just three hits to the Warriors and allowing five baserunners.
The Spartans got on the board in the first inning with one run on an RBI single to center from Haley Hirn. In the third, the Spartans tacked on three more runs thanks to an RBI double from Hirn, an RBI groundout from Carleigh Ruleman, and a throwing error which allowed Hirn to score. In the fourth, Katie Maloney scored on an RBI single from Savannah Zittle to give the Spartans their fifth run of the game and yield the final margin in a darkness-shortened game.
Weaver (4-3) took the loss in the second game for Lycoming, throwing a complete game while allowing eight hits and three earned runs to go with two strikeouts.
The Spartans were led by Joanna Marmo, who collected five hits on the day and scored three times. Ashley Werner led the way with four total RBI while Zittle, Hirn, Maloney, and Savannah Galati each drove in three runs.
The Warriors get back on the field on Friday, March 25, when they travel to Stevenson for a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.?
