SELINSGROVE, PA (April 16, 2022) -- Behind dominant pitching from both Katie Murphy and Gabby Bubba, the Susquehanna University softball team chalked up a pair of Landmark Conference victories over the University of Scranton with scores of 1-0 and 9-1 in five innings.

The wins were extra special, as Susquehanna honored its four seniors of Erin Bean, Katie Koch, Murphy and Kiara Bryant prior to the contests. Once underway, the River Hawk pitching was stellar, allowing just three hits all day over the two games. 

Game 1: Susquehanna 1, Scranton 0
Senior Katie Murphy was lights out in the circle in the opening game, allowing just one hit in a complete-game shutout, striking out 14 batters. Murphy didn't have much room for error though, as Emma Tirollo of Scranton matched her pitch-for-pitch. 

Murphy retired the first 15 batters of the day before Lauren Cawley singled to lead off the sixth inning. Cawley would move to second base on a ground out, but Murphy earned a strikeout to get out of trouble.

In the bottom of the sixth, the River Hawks would break through thanks to a two-out rally. Junior Ashley Warner walked, followed by a single by Kiara Bryant and a hit by pitch from Zoe Bork. Morgan Henry stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, and singled to left field to give SU the margin of victory. 

Henry went 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI in game one, while Bork was 1-for-2 with a HBP. In a strange stat, Scranton (15-10, 3-3 Landmark) struck out 14 times in the game but the River Hawks did not strike out once. Tirollo allowed four hits over six innings, allowing the one earned run.

Game 2: Susquehanna 9, Scranton 1 (5 Innings)
The Susquehanna bats came alive in game two, while Gabby Bubba allowed two hits and one earned run in a complete-game victory to move to 6-4. 

Scranton scored a run in the top of the first on a bases loaded walk by Jennifer Sweeney. Susquehanna took the lead in the bottom of the second, as Henry blasted a two-run shot to dead center field to make it 2-1.

Susquehanna tacked on three more runs in the third inning, as Lexi Palumbo doubled in Erin Bean after she walked to lead off the frame. Bork singled in Palumbo later in the inning to push the River Hawk lead to 4-1, and Henry scored Warner with a sacrifice fly to make it a four-run edge for SU. 

The River Hawks (16-6, 4-0 Landmark) pushed across two more in the fourth and two in the fifth to clinch the run-rule victory over the Royals. 

Bork finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, while Palumbo was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Hannah Roland was 2-for-3 as well with a double and RBI, while Warner added two hits as well. Every River Hawk starter reached base safely at least once in game two. 

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Up Next

• Susquehanna will host Juniata College (8-16, 0-4 Landmark) Wednesday, April 20 at 3 p.m. for a Landmark Conference doubleheader on Sassafras Field. 

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