Timely hitting, strong pitching and solid defense propelled the Susquehanna University Softball team to a pair of shutout victories over Dickinson College Thursday afternoon in the first doubleheader of the season at home on Sassafras Field in Selinsgrove.

The River Hawks (8-6) used five hits in the opener to score four times in a 4-0 win and then pounded out 13 hits in an 8-0 win in five innings in the night cap. Kelly Miller was 2-for-2 in the opener and finished the day 3-for-4 to pace the offense while Alexa Gonzalez tossed a three-hitter in the complete-game shutout in game two.

The Susquehanna defense was solid with only one error and turned a double play to stop a threat in the fourth inning of the second game.

Dickinson (9-7) had seven hits in the opener but stranded eight runners and was not able to score a run despite having runners in scoring position in four of the seven innings.

In the opener, Susquehanna took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. With two outs and Brooke Kohler on first after being hit by pitch, McKayla Brady singled to center to send Kohler to third. Kohler scored on a passed ball and Brady scored on a Kasey Bost single for the early lead.

The River Hawks added two more runs in the fifth when Heather Pearson doubled down the right field line after a long at-bat to score both pinch runner Kody Streeter and right fielder Emily Lear on the play.

Amanda Seckinger and Gabby Bubba combined on the pitching shutout scattering seven hits and striking out two while walking just one batter. The duo did not allow an extra base hit in the seven innings of work.

In game two, Susquehanna scored single runs in each of the first two innings for the early lead and then tacked on four runs with a big third inning rally.

In the third, Emilie Boman and Brady hit back-to-back doubles and Bost followed with a single to put runners on the corners. After Bost stole second, Leigh Ann Greenwald drilled a triple to right centerfield to score Bost and Brady. Jackie Gore followed with a sacrifice fly to score Greenwald and open up a 6-0 lead.

The River Hawks ended the game with a pair of runs in the fifth inning for the run-rule victory. Gore opened the inning with a line-drive single and pinch hitter Amanda Robinson followed with a double off the fence in right to score pinch-runner Streeter. With two outs, Kat Fahsbender delivered a double to right field to score Robinson with the winning run.

Gonzalez surrendered just three hits after throwing three and one third innings of no-hit softball. She finished with three strike outs and walked one batter for her team-leading fourth win of the season.

The River Hawks open Landmark Conference play Saturday with a doubleheader at Catholic University with a 1 p.m. start for game one.