DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – Predicted to finish last in the MAC Freedom preseason poll, the Lycoming College softball team finished in a tie for first at the top of the conference standings and proceeded to eliminate three teams in as many games during the MAC Freedom Championship, but the second-seeded team's run ended in the championship final on Saturday, May 6, as top-seeded Misericordia University won the title with a 4-0 win at Delaware Valley University's Softball Field.
Along the way, Lycoming won a school-record 25 games, finishing 25-14 overall, as it eliminated fourth-seeded Stevens, 3-2, on Thursday, fifth-seeded Arcadia, 2-1, and third-seeded King's, 6-3, on Friday. The Warriors lost their opening game at the double-elimination tournament, 6-1, to King's on Thursday.
The Warriors had three hits on Saturday, with senior
Morgan Wetzel (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) picking up her 132
nd career hit, just three shy of Taylor Lesser's school record of 135 set from 2010-13. Wetzel finished the season with 51 hits, becoming the first Warrior besides Kayla Kline '20 to post 50 hits in a campaign.
The two teams went scoreless in the game's first four and a half innings, with sophomore
Avery Eiswerth (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area), stranding five runners on base in that time.
Misericordia (26-11 overall) ran into trouble in the third inning when first-year
Claire Alexander (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport Area) walked to lead off. After a fly out, Wetzel singled into center field and a groundout put two runners in scoring position, but another groundout ended the inning.
In the fourth, Misericordia strung together six hits, with Nicole Redling providing the biggest blow with a two-RBI double.
Eiswerth (7-5) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and four runs. She struck out four and walked one. Junior
Kylie Russell (Cogan Station, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) threw 0.2 innings, striking out her 100
th batter of the season, becoming the only pitcher in program history besides fellow Jersey Shore product Morgan Mantle '06, who did it four times, to reach 100 strikeouts in a year.
Emily Wenner threw 3 1/3 innings to start, allowing two hits, a walk and a strikeout. Marisa Kelly (5-3) earned the win in two scoreless innings of relief. Alexa McHugh threw the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing a hit and striking out two.
The game marked the final athletic event in the Middle Atlantic Conference for Lycoming College in a 71-year span since 1952, as the school will move to the Landmark Conference on July 1.
