Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Susquehanna freshman Jamie Fesinstine (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) pitched a two-hit shutout against visiting Misericordia to help give the Crusaders a split in their 2014 home-opening doubleheader.

SU (5-7) dropped game one 6-4 before rallying to shut out the Cougars (4-6) in game two.

Designated player Sarah Bush (West Windsor, N.J./West Windsor Plainsboro North) finished 3-for-6 with two hits in game two. Bridget Rafter (Highlands, N.J./Henry Hudson Regional) went 2-for-2 with one run scored and one RBI in that game two victory while Brittany Devlin (Furlong, Pa./Central Bucks East) had one hit and drove in two runs in the victory.

Fesinstine tossed all seven innings, gave up just two hits and struck out eight batters to pick up her second win of the spring.

The game was scoreless through 2 ½ innings before Rafter led off the bottom of the third with a double and came around to score on a Brianna Murphy (Hazlet, N.J./Mater Dei Prep) sac fly.

SU then broke out for two runs in the bottom of the very next inning. Devlin's single drove in the first run and Claire Hanratty's (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) single plated another for a 3-0 Susquehanna lead after four innings of play.

The Crusaders tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a Rafter RBI single to left field that scored pinch runner Sam Zuponcic (Mantua, Ohio/Crestwood/Hiram).

Fesinstine then tossed a one-two-three top of the seventh to secure the win.

In game one, Morgan Lewis (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) earned the start and went all seven innings, giving up 11 hits, six runs (three earned) but striking out nine and walking only one.

Alyssa Cantalini (Kitchener, Ontario/St. David Catholic Secondary) was 3-for-3 with one run scored while Bush had one hit and drove in another.

Both teams plated runs in their respective halves of the first inning before the Cougars put together a three-run second inning on four hits and one SU error for a 4-1 lead.

It remained 4-1 after five innings until Misericordia tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth to pad its lead to five runs (6-1).

The Crusaders were not ready to call it game, though. Cantalini led off with a triple and that was followed by a single from Bush to plate Cantalini and make it 6-2. Zuponcic, who again entered as a pinch runner, scored on a wild pitch for a 6-3 game. Hanratty's two-out single then scored Devlin, who had reached base after being by a hit, to quickly cut Misericordia's lead to just two, 6-4.

Unfortunately Murphy flied out to center field to end the rally as the Cougars held on for the win.

Susquehanna remains at home to host Moravian in a Landmark Conference season-opening doubleheader on Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m.