Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore
HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Susquehanna University split a Landmark
Conference softball doubleheader with host Juniata College, 4-3,
2-5, at Weaver Park Field on April 22 to become the winningest team
in program history.
Susquehanna (27-5, 7-1 Landmark), the No. 1-ranked team by the
NCAA in the first Division III East Region poll of the 2010 season,
took Game 1, 4-3, for its 19th straight victory, also a school
record. Juniata (14-15, 4-6 Landmark) ended the streak with a 5-2
win in Game 2.
SU's longest winning streak before this year was 16 in a row
from the end of the 1991 season and into 1992. The old program
record for wins in a season was set by the 1998 Crusaders, who went
26-14.
Thanks to a combined 4-for-7 day with one double, one stolen
base, one run batted in and a team-high two runs scored, junior
infielder Brennan Balfour (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape
Elizabeth) continued her assault on Susquehanna's
individual record books.
Balfour trailed teammate and sophomore
outfielder Lisa Finizio (Oakland, N.J./Indian
Hills) by one in the program's single-season runs rankings
before this doubleheader but now stands even with
Finizio with 35 each this year.
Finizio scored once in this day's games as
part of a combined 2-for-6 day with two doubles and a sacrifice
bunt.
Balfour also broke the Crusaders' single-season
total-bases record on this day. She now has 85 this year, topping
the old standard of 83 set by Sarah Shaffer '07 Harrison from 2004
to 2007.
Junior Cara Swerdlow (Bloomfield,
N.J./Bloomfield) earned the Game 1 win to improve to 15-2
this season. The 15 wins tie her own single-season record, set last
year with a 15-8 mark.
Senior catcher Kelli Holota (Spring Lake,
N.J./Livingston), thanks to a combined 4-for-7 day with
two doubles and two RBI, moved into second place on the Crusaders'
single-season and career doubles lists. Holota has
11 doubles this year to trail only the 12 collected by teammate and
junior infielder Shelly Landis (Souderton, Pa./Christopher
Dock Mennonite) last year. Holota has hit
28 doubles in her career, behind only the 31 hit by Megan McCurley
'08 from 2005 to 2008.
Freshman Sarah Hoffman (Laceyville, Pa./Wyalusing
Valley) suffered the Game 2 pitching loss despite throwing
another complete game. Hoffman is now 10-3 this
year after allowing just one earned run on 11 Juniata hits and two
walks in six innings. She struck out a game-high four batters.
Swerdlow allowed zero earned runs on eight hits
and two walks in the opener. She also struck out four batters,
including one to end the game with the tying run on second base.
The Crusaders trailed Game 1, 3-2, after four innings thanks to
three unearned Eagles runs in the fourth. Susquehanna took the lead
for good in the next inning though thanks to two runs, the last one
coming on an RBI double by junior infielder Taylor Crawford
(Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley HS).
Crawford finished the first game 2-for-2 with
two hit batsman. Landis scored the winning run as
part of a 1-for-4, two-RBI opener.
Teammate and junior infielder/pitcher Kim Rubino
(Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) batted 1-for-3 in Game 1 and
was hit by, amazingly, her 12th pitch this year.
Senior outfielder Deanna Anderson (Coal Twp.,
Pa./Shamokin Area) doubled in a 1-for-4 game.
The Crusaders hurt themselves with more errors in the second
game. That game was tied, 2-2, after four innings until the Eagles
scored three unearned runs in the fifth for the final runs of the
day.
Junior outfielder/pitcher Bryn Whitmire (Lederach,
Pa./Souderton Area) was 0-for-2 in the nightcap but walked
once and scored a run.
Next Games: Saturday, April 24, vs. Scranton (DH)
(Landmark Conference games), 1 p.m.
