CHESTER, Pa. (Apr. 6, 2015) – A six-run Game Two fifth-inning powered the Widener softball team to a split against Commonwealth-rival Lebanon Valley on Monday afternoon at the Widener Softball Field. The Dutchmen battled to a 6-3 nine-inning victory in the opener, but the Pride stormed back with a 9-1 five-inning affair in the nightcap.
Widener (13-3, 6-2 CC) took an early 3-0 lead in Game One with a three-run second inning. With two on and one out, a Dutchman error allowed freshman center fielder
Katie Sterling (Middletown, Del.) to cross the plate. In the next at bat, junior catcher
Taylor Church (Glen Mills, Pa.) singled home junior right fielder
Heather Forward (Philadelphia, Pa.). After a popup, sophomore designated player
Ally Horvath's (Chalfont, Pa.) bunt single brought home the Pride's third run.
LVC (6-12, 3-5 CC) was held in check over the first four innings, before tacking on its first run in the fifth. A two-run homer in the sixth tied the contest at three and sent it into extras. The visitors then struck for three runs in the ninth to secure the victory.
Sophomore third baseman
Angela Hood (Mullica Twp., N.J.), junior shortstop
Alie Alkins (Aston, Pa.), Sterling, and Church each registered two hits in the game.
Haley Neff tossed a complete game for the Dutchmen, improving to 2-6 in the circle.
Sophomore
Alexis Schengrund (Hillsborough, N.J.) was the hard-luck loser, giving up just one earned run (six total runs) on eight hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.
The blue and gold once again began the scoring in the nightcap with a three-run inning, this time in the opening frame. Forward knocked in two with a single to right center, and sophomore left fielder
Liz Antonucci (Nesconset, N.Y.) followed with an RBI infield single to cap off the scoring in the inning.
After LVC pushed across a run in the third, the home squad exploded for six runs in the fifth without registering an out in the inning. Eight members of the Pride stepped to the plate in the inning with all eight reaching base safely, with the game ending on a ball mishandled off the bat of sophomore second baseman
Nicole Cavalier (Burlington, N.J.), bringing home Antonucci.
Senior first baseman
Carissa Harris (Douglassville, Pa.) was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring twice and knocking in one. Antonucci added a 2-for-3 performance with three RBI and a run scored.
Horvath got the win on the rubber, improving to 5-2 on the season. She tossed five innings of work, surrendering one run (unearned) on six hits and no walks.
The Pride will hit the road next for a non-conference matchup at Haverford on Tuesday with the twinbill slated to begin at 3 p.m.
