NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Allowing just one earned run in a pair of games, the Lycoming College softball team's trio of hurlers paced the team in its first games of the 2023 season, with Lycoming downing Curry, 2-0, in their opener before downing Mount Aloysius, 3-1, in the second game on Monday night, March 13, at the North Myrtle Beach Complex.
 
In the first game against Curry, senior Payton Whary (Coal Township, Pa./Shamokin Area) (1-0) tossed five shutout innings and striking out three before sophomore Avery Eiswerth (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) tossed two shutout innings, allowing three hits for the save.
 
In the second game against Mount Aloysius, Eiswerth fired 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and an unearned run, striking out three and walking one, before junior Kyle Russell (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) (1-0) got the last 10 outs, allowing just one hit and striking out two.
 
In all, the trio allowed 14 hits and just one walk while reeling in the pair of wins.
 
Three Warriors had two hits in the first game, with senior centerfielder Morgan Wetzel (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) going 2-for-3 with a run and double, sophomore Rachel Daub (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale Area) went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and a RBI and junior Rachel DeWolfe (New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Crest) went 2-for-3 with a triple and a RBI.
 
Junior Kylie Segraves (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) kept the game scoreless in the bottom of the first, throwing a runner out at the plate from left for a 7-2 double play. That was the only Curry runner to reach third base in the game.
 
The Warriors broke through in the fourth inning when Wetzel doubled to lead off, moved to third on a sac bunt and scored on a double from Daub. Daub singled in the seventh to lead off before DeWolfe blasted a pitch off the fence in right-center for a RBI triple.
 
Curry (1-1 overall) got the tying run to the on base in the seventh, but a pop out to first-year first baseman Megan Gorsuch (Littlestown, Pa./Littlestown Area) ended the game.
 
Jordan Ferullo led Curry, going 2-for-3. Caitlyn Wood (0-1) took the loss, allowing six hits and a run in five innings.
 
Single runs in the second, third and sixth innings were enough for the Warriors in the second game, Eiswerth and Russell combined for a six-hitter in the 3-1 win over the Mounties.
 
The Warriors took the lead in the first inning when Daub reached with a single into right center before moving to third on an error and scoring on a one-out sac fly from Segraves. In the third, Russell doubled with one out, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly from Wetzel.
 
The Mounties (1-2 overall) closed within a run in the bottom of the third and had runners on second and third with one out, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the threat.
 
Lycoming added an insurance run in the sixth when first year Alex Eckerson (Hopatcong, N.J./Morris Catholic) led off with a single before sophomore Jackie Snyder (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) pinch ran. An errant throw on a pickoff attempt allowed Snyder to score from first.
 
Meanwhile, Russell was in control, retiring 10 of the 11 batters she faced to close the door on the Mounties.
 
Grace Gardini and Kayla Diehl each had two hits for the Mounties. Anna Peterman took the loss, allowing seven hits and two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. She struck out three.
 
The Warriors get back on the field on Tuesday, March 14, when they face off with Keene State at 3 p.m. and Mississippi University for Women at 5 p.m. at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex.