SELINSGROVE, PA (April 24, 2022) -- The Susquehanna University softball team posted nearly identical wins over Drew University Sunday afternoon in a Landmark Conference doubleheader from Sassafras Field. The River Hawks won both games in eight innings, both by the score of 5-2 and both with eerily similar starts to the deciding frames.

In both games with the score tied at two in the top of the eighth, senior Kiara Bryant tripled to right-center field to start the inning. Sophomore Zoe Bork scored Bryant in both instances on a single to left field, and twice in the day insurance runs came off the bat of Katie Koch. 

Game 1: Susquehanna 5, Drew 2
The River Hawks took the early lead in the opening game of the day, as Bork plated Lexi Palumbo with an RBI single to center field to put SU up 1-0. 

Drew University took the lead in the bottom of the second, as Madi Baldwin doubled in Paxten Perry followed by a Madi Precht triple to center field to make it 2-1. 

Susquehanna would tie the game in the next half-inning, as Bork posted her second RBI of the game on a double to left field to score Palumbo. 

No runs would be scored over the last four innings, as the teams headed to extra innings. Bryant would lead off the eight with the first of two triples Sunday, scoring as Bork singled to left-center field to make it 3-2.

Two batters later, Koch doubled to the left-center gap to score pinch runner Nicole Wuertz for a 4-2 lead. Hannah Roland later in the inning bounced a single up the middle to bring Koch around. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Katie Murphy would nail down the victory with two strikeouts and a pop-up. Bork finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, and now has hits in eight of her last nine games. She also has seven games with two or more RBI. 

Palumbo was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored for Susquehanna, which posted eight hits. Katie Murphy earned the win, tossing four innings of no-hit relief, striking out 10 hitters. Gabby Bubba allowed five hits and two earned runs over the first four innings to pick up a no-decision. 

Game 2: Susquehanna 5, Drew 2
Game two saw the Rangers (22-15, 4-8 Landmark) get on the board first in the bottom of the third, as Precht singled on a bunt and Molly O'Brien came around from second to score. 

In the next half-inning, Bryant connected on her first home run of the season, a two-run shot over the left-field wall to put the River Hawks up 2-1. 

Drew deadlocked the game at two runs apiece on a safety squeeze play, as Precht scored Perry on a bunt back to the pitcher. In the seventh inning, Drew had a rally going with a runner on second base and no outs, but Perry was caught stealing followed by two strikeouts by Murphy to send the game to extras. 

The eighth inning was a repeat of game one, as Bryant ripped a triple to right-center followed by a Bork RBI single to put SU up for good. Koch singled in Bork after a sacrifice bunt, and Nicole Plesh doubled to center field to make it a 5-2 game. Bubba came in for SU in the bottom of the eighth and secured the win with her first save of the season. 

Bryant was 2-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored and seven total bases, adding a walk as well. Bork was 2-for-4, while Plesh went 2-for-4 in the contest. Bubba started and finished game two, allowing four hits and an earned run over five frames while striking out five including chalking up her 200th career strikeout.

Murphy earned the win with three more no-hit innings, allowing one earned run on three walks and six strikeouts as she worked the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. With the wins, Susquehanna secured at least the No. 2 seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament in early May.   

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Up Next

• Susquehanna University will travel to Carlisle, PA on Thursday, April 28 at 5 p.m. for a non-conference doubleheader with Dickinson College. 

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