NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Senior centerfielder Morgan Wetzel (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) threw out a runner at third base with a 100-foot throw on the fly from left-center field to cut down Utica University's last runner to get within 120 feet of home plate, as the Lycoming College softball team won a tense 4-3 game to wrap up their time at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex on Friday, March 17. Lycoming fell in the day's opener, 2-1, to Division II Mansfield.
 
Down by a run, the Warriors (6-2 overall) scored all four of their runs against the Pioneers (7-2 overall) in the fourth inning. Junior Rachel DeWolfe (New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff) singled down the left field line with one out and sophomore Rachel Daub (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale Area) followed with a single through the right side before first-year Hailee Sobieski (Hopatcong, N.J./Morris Catholic) walked to load the bases. An error scored a run before a sac fly brought in Daub, whose slid came in just around the tag, setting up senior Kaleigh Kinley (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle), who delivered a pitch just inside the right field line to score two runs.
 
The Pioneers cut the lead to a run in the bottom of the inning, scoring a pair of runs, but a groundout ended the inning with the tying run at third. Leadoff runners reached the next two innings, but in the fifth, senior Payton Whary (Coal Township, Pa./Shamokin Area) got a pop up and grounder to end the threat with the runner at second and in the sixth, Wetzel cut down a pinch runner at third after Utica opened the inning with a double.
 
 First-year Claire Alexander (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport Area) went 2-for-4 and DeWolfe went 2-for-4 with a run.
 
Emily Joss went 2-for-4 with a run for Utica and Brooke Catlin had a two-RBI double.
 
Whary (3-0) pitched five innings in the win, allowing seven hits and three runs. She struck out one. Sophomore Avery Eiswerth (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) earned her second save, pitching the last two frames, allowing a hit and a walk.
 
Kylie Murray (1-1) took the loss, allowing six hits and four unearned runs in four innings. She walked one and struck out two.
 
In the opening game of the day, the Warriors scored in the first inning, but Mansfield (8-3 overall) used single runs in the fourth and fifth to post a 2-1 win.
 
Junior Kylie Segraves (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) went 3-for-4 with a run and Wetzel went 2-for-4 with a RBI to lead the Warriors. DeWolfe also went 2-for-3.
 
Segraves singled to right with one out in the first, took second on a passed ball and scored on a single from Wetzel.
 
Mansfield tied the game in the fourth with a homer from Anastasia Berardi and took the lead in the fifth off a pair of singles and an error.
 
The Warriors left four runners stranded at third.
 
Melissa Demo led the Mounties, going 3-for-3 with a run and Gabby Drum went 2-for-3.
 
Danielle Goff (4-1) earned the win, allowing nine hits and a run. She struck out seven. Junior Kylie Russell (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) pitched six innings, allowing 11 hits and an earned run. She struck out four.
 
The Warriors return home and get the northern portion of their schedule underway on Tuesday, March 21, when they head to Elm Park for a 3 p.m. doubleheader with Penn College.