SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Susquehanna University softball team held Elizabethtown College scoreless in both games as the River Hawks swept the Landmark Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon. Susquehanna (4-2, 4-2 LC) posted a 7-0 win in the first game before notching an 11-0 victory in six innings thanks to a grand slam by junior infielder
Kiara Bryant (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) over the visiting Blue Jays (0-10, 0-10 LC).
GAME 1
How It Happened
Susquehanna staked a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when senior designated hitter
Brittany Hebda (Kingston, Pa./Holy Redeemer) connected on a two-out, two-run double to bring home first-year outfielder
Nicole Plesh (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) and sophomore infielder
Ashley Warner (Bloomsbury, N.J./Phillipsburg).
The River Hawks doubled their lead in the fourth when
Hebda scored on an Etown error after leading off the inning with a single. Senior infielder
Madison Lane (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) then came home on senior
Kody Streeter's (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) two-out single.
SU's final three runs came in the sixth. After senior
Gabby Bubba (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Pope John XXIII) retired the Blue Jay side in order, back-to-back errors to open the sixth had River Hawk runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt by
Lane moved the runners to second and third setting up senior outfielder
Katherine Fahsbender's (Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII) two RBI double, driving in
Hebda and first-year pinch runner
Rachel Lorence (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North). Etown got out of the inning with three straight strikeouts.
Bubba once again sat down the Etown side in order to end the game.
Inside the Box Score
Susquehanna notched seven hits, including two extra-base hits, and tallied five RBI while stealing two bases. The Blue Jays were limited to just one hit and only had two base runners.
Top Performers
Hebda finished the game, 2-for-3, with two RBI and two runs scored to pace the River Hawks at the plate.
Bubba (2-1) notched the win with a near perfect outing in the pitching circle. She allowed just one while striking out three and just walking one in her first complete game and first shutout win of the season.
Senior outfielder
Brinley Schmidt had the Blue Jays lone hit while sophomore
Tori Caputo (0-5) suffered the loss as
Caputo gave up seven runs (all earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
GAME 2
How It Happened
The River Hawks used nine hits and three Etown errors to score 11 runs in the second game. Susquehanna started off with a 2-0 lead in the first as junior infielder
Erin Bean (Watchung, N.J./Watchung Hills) lead off the inning with a single and then scored on an error while
Plesh came home on a popup by sophomore designated hitter
Morgan Henry (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge).
SU went up 3-0 in the second when
Lane crossed home plate on an RBI single by
Fahsbender after drawing a lead-off walk, advancing to second on a ground out and stealing third. Another two runs came in the third on a two-out, two-run shot by
Henry, scoring
Bryant as well who was hit by a pitch.
The River Hawks tacked on two more in the fourth as
Hebda cracked a two RBI double to leftfield to drive in
Lane, who drew another lead-off walk, and sophomore catcher
Rosemarie Mirabella (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape), who followed
Lane with a single in her at-bat.
Bryant came through for Susquehanna in a big way in the sixth as she cleared the bases with two outs on the board with her second career grand slam.
Bryant has two career home runs and both have been grand slams.
Inside the Box Score
Susquehanna tallied season-bests of 11 runs scored and 11 RBI while notching nine hits, including two homers and a double. The Blue Jays notched one more hit than in the first game, finishing with two, and once again just had two base runners.
Top Performers
Henry and
Fahsbender both went 2-for-2 while
Bryant drove in four RBI, marking her third multiple-RBI game of the season. Senior
Brooke Wiarda (Green Pond, N.J./Morris Knolls) moved to 2-0 on the year as
Wiarda threw a two-hitter with four strikeouts and no walks in 5.0 innings.
Sophomore
Grace Hussey and junior
Amelia Lark each had a hit while junior
Paige Phillips (0-5) suffered the loss, giving up 11 runs (10 earned) on nine hits.
Phillips struck out two, walked two and hit one.
Up Next for the River Hawks
Apr. 6 at Elizabethtown (0-10, 0-10) – Elizabethtown, Pa. / The Nest – 3:00 p.m. (DH)
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