ANNVILLE, Pa. – Seniors Elisa Novak (Ambler, Pa./Germantown Academy), Kristi Weaver (Milton, Pa./Milton Area) and junior Morgan Kunes (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) each notched two hits for the Lycoming College softball team, but the team fell victim to a strong offensive performance from Lebanon Valley, dropping both games of a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader, 4-3 and 12-1, on Saturday afternoon, April 16, at the LVC Softball Park.
In the first game, Novak and Weaver each had two hits, but a pair of two-run innings were enough to give Lebanon Valley a 4-3 win.
The Warriors (12-17 overall, 1-11 MAC Commonwealth) opened the scoring in the top of the third inning, when junior Kelcie Crabb (Millmont, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) reached on an error to lead off the inning. After senior Chelsey Poorman (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) walked, sophomore Ashley Schoenstadt (Gap, Pa./Pequea Valley) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Then, after Novak grounded out to drive in Crabb from third, sophomore Rachael Shady (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) singled to left-center to score Poorman to take a 2-0 lead.
The Flying Dutchmen (16-10 overall, 7-5 MAC Commonwealth) responded in the bottom of the third when Emily Johnson singled to center to drive in two runs to tie the game. The Flying Dutchmen struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Johnson had another RBI single following an RBI triple from Cheyanne Brown.
In the top of the sixth, freshman Cayla Treaster (Williamsport, Pa./Montoursville Area) came on as a pinch runner following a double from Weaver. The next batter was sophomore Heather Secord (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown Area), who reached on a fielder's choice with Treaster advancing to third on an error. During the next at-bat, Secord stole second but Treaster also came in to score on an error to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Haley Neff (7-4) got the win, as she pitched a complete game and gave up three runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Shady (6-8) took the loss for the Warriors, as she finished with a complete game and gave up four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
Neff (8-4) earned her second win of the day as she threw a five-inning complete game in the second game, giving up one unearned run on four hits with no walks and a strikeout.
The Flying Dutchmen opened the game by scoring three runs on four hits and two errors in the first inning. In the third inning, the Dutchmen got another run thanks to a solo home run from Elaine Gross. In the fourth, the Dutchmen posted eight runs on five hits and two errors.
The Warriors were able to get a run across in the top of the fifth inning when Kunes led off with a single followed by an RBI single from sophomore Samantha Fischer (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) three batters later to yield the final margin.
Weaver (5-8) took the loss for the Warriors, as she gave up four runs on six hits with three walks in three innings.
Sammy Bost led the way for the Flying Dutchmen, as she finished 5-for-8 with five runs scored in the doubleheader. Brown finished with three hits and three runs and Johnson finished with three hits, four RBI and three runs scored.
The Warriors return to action on Sunday, April 17, when they host rival Susquehanna University in the Cancer Awareness Cup in a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Shangraw Athletic Complex.?
