SELINSGROVE, PA (March 22, 2022) -- Senior pitcher Katie Murphy tossed six innings of no-hit ball in game two, as she fanned 12 hitters while allowing just one hit in helping the Susquehanna University softball team complete a doubleheader sweep of visiting Penn College in the 2022 home opener for the River Hawks. SU won the first game 6-2 before topping the Wildcats 8-0 in six innings in the night cap. 

Game 1: Susquehanna 6, Penn College 2
The River Hawks were able to get the day going right with a game one victory over Penn College, as SU allowed just two hits while scoring three in the second inning to take the lead for good. In that decisive second frame, Nicole Plesh got the rally started with a walk and moved to second on a walk by Hanna Roland. Plesh would score SU's first run on a perfect double steal with Erin Bean, and the Lexi Palumbo and Ashley Warner followed with back-to-back RBI doubles for a 3-0 lead. 

Penn College trimmed SU's lead to one at 3-2 after tallying a single run in the top of the third and fourth, but Katie Koch gave the River Hawks some insurance with a RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth. SU tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a RBI double by Bean. That was plenty of offense for SU's pitching tandem of Gabby Bubba and Murphy, as they combined to allow just two hits while striking out eight total Wildcat batters. 

Palumbo stayed hot with a 2-for-4 contest, scoring once while plating a run, while Kiara Bryant was also 2-for-3 with a triple. 

Bubba got the victory, tossing five innings while surrendering two runs (1 earned) and two hits before handing the ball off to Murphy for a scoreless two innings of relief to pick up the save. 

Game 2: Susquehanna 8, Penn College 0 (6)
Murphy was tremendous in the circle in game two, cruising for a complete-game shutout victory, nearly earning the no-hitter. The lone blemish to Murphy's resume in game two was a sixth-inning hit with two outs that softly landed in-between the pitching circle and Erin Bean. Other than that, she was unhittable as she walked just one over 81 pitches. 

Runs weren't a problem either for SU in game two, as Zoe Bork tripled in Roland in the bottom of the second to put Susquehanna up 1-0. The lead would swell to 4-0 in the bottom of the third, as Palumbo and Warner doubled in runs, followed by a RBI single from Bryant. Warner would single in two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 6-0 edge, putting the game away in the bottom of the sixth on a walk-off RBI double from Roland to reach the run-rule stoppage. 

Warner was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Palumbo upped her hitting streak to 10 with a 2-for-4 game, scoring twice. Bryant also extended her hitting streak to nine after going 1-for-3, and Roland finished 2-for-3 with a run and RBI. Hailey Kaba also registered her first collegiate double in the contest. 

Susquehanna has now won five of its last six games overall, moving to 6-4 on the season. 

-- 

Up Next

• The River Hawk softball squad will take the short drive north to Williamsport Thursday afternoon for a non-conference doubleheader with Lycoming College at 3 p.m. 

Facebook: susquehanna.riverhawks | Instagram: @gosusqu
Twitter: @GOsusqU | Hashtags: #AllIn, #GOSU, #RiverHawkPride