Softball | 5/2/2014 12:00:00 AM
(vs. LVC) / (vs. Alvernia)
No. 3 seed Widener lost twice on the opening day of the Commonwealth Conference Tournament, 4-2 to Lebanon Valley and 6-5 to Alvernia, and was eliminated Friday in Reading, PA.
After a very successful year, highlighted by a 21-9 regular season record with Fred Dohrmann reaching 1,000 softball games as well as becoming the University's winningest coach in one sport, the 2014 campaign comes to a close for the young Widener squad. The squad also notched the 11th 20-win season in school history.
Second-seeded Lebanon Valley (30-4) scored first in the third inning on a three-run single from Sam Derr. Lebanon Valley then added one more in the fifth inning on a fielding error to pull ahead 4-0.
Widener (21-11) scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning when sophomore Heather Forward (Philadelphia, PA) doubled to left center to drive home second team all-conference freshman Angela Hood (Mullica Twp., NJ), followed by a RBI single from first team all-conference sophomore Alie Alkins (Aston, PA). Alkins finsihed 2-of-3 with an RBI in the contest.
Second team all-conference freshman Alexis Schengrund (Hillsborough, NJ) threw 4 1/3 innings in the circle with two strikeouts and three earned runs. Fellow freshman Devin Coyne (Chesapeake, VA) relieved the last 1 2/3 innings, allowing only one hit and no runs.
Widener then ran into fifth-seeded Alvernia on its home field. Freshman pitcher Ally Horvath (Chalfont, PA) went 4 2/3 innings with one strikeout. Coyne again came into the game in relief and pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing only one run.
The Pride again fell behind early and trailed 2-0 going into the bottom of the third inning. Widener junior Carissa Harris (Douglasville, PA) doubled to drive home Hood to pull her team within one run.
Alvernia scored three runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth inning to take a commanding 6-1 lead, highlighted by a two run single from Aly Shiling.
Widener did not retreat and began what looked like a huge comeback in the bottom of the final inning. Forward doubled down the left field line to drive home both Hood and Horvath. Then with one one out, Alkins singled through the left side to bring home Forward. Alkins then scored on a RBI single from honorable mention all-conference sophomore Taylor Church (Glen Mills, PA). With Widener trailing 6-5 and a runner on second, the Pride could not drive home the tying run and were eliminated from the tournament.
Widener finishes the season with a team batting average of .310 and held its opponents to a .229 average. The Pride scored 180 runs on 279 hits, and held a .956 team fielding percentage.
