BETHLEHEM, PA – It came down to the last at bat in extra innings to end Susquehanna softball's incredible Landmark Tournament run Sunday against host and top-seed Moravian.
Brianna Jones pitched a phenomenal seven-plus innings, holding up a first-inning
Ashley Warner RBI single by keeping the Greyhounds scoreless through six for a 1-0 lead entering the seventh. Moravian tied the game in the seventh, then walked it off with two outs in the eighth for a 2-1 decision.
The River Hawks entered Sunday needing two wins over Moravian after wins Saturday over Scranton, 2-1, and exacting revenge against Catholic in extras 4-2 after an opening-game defeat to the Cardinals Friday. With two outs in the first, Palumbo gave Susquehanna something to cheer early about with a two-bagger to left center. Warner, whose bat provided countless heroics all weekend, came through again poking one up the middle to bring home Palumbo and giving Jones an early 1-0 lead to defend.
Jones retired her first five batters and enjoyed a stretch of sending down eight consecutive Greyhounds over the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings to make the lead stand. Moravian starter Sarah DeStefano handled the River Hawks with equal ease, holding off a scoring threat in the second and hurdling hitless frames through the fourth and seventh innings to set up a showdown in the bottom of the seventh with the heart of the lineup approaching.
Leading off the inning was cleanup hitter and catcher Marcie Silberman, who sent a liner to right field that just missed the mitt of
Kaylee Smallen for a triple. Kendall Szor pinch ran for Silberman as Jones focused in on her next batter Sage Snyder, setting her down swinging. It was now up to the other Silberman, Emily to be exact, to tie the game, which she did with a single through the right side. Jones responded calmly by retiring the next two batters, sending the game to extras.
Smallen and
Rosemarie Mirabella led off the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no outs. The top of the lineup came to bat with
Erin Bean at the plate, but her liner was snagged by the shortstop Ajala Elmore who doubled off Smallen at second to dial down the River Hawks' threat. The ensuing at bat saw
Hannah Roland ground one to second for the force play to end the top half of the eighth.
Jones retired the leadoff hitter Jessica Forder on a groundout at second, but Holly Walter got on the next at bat with a walk. She stole second during Mya Zettlemoyer's at bat, who flew out to center as Walter tagged up and reached third. This brought up Lindsey Gawrys to the plate, pushing the at bat to a full count. On the payoff pitch, she singled down the right field line to walk it off and issue Moravian the Landmark Championship.
Jones' final stat line was 7.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and one walk on 30 batters faced. Her rookie season concluded at 13-3, while the winning pitcher DeStefano improved to 14-2, throwing all eight innings allowing one earned run on six hits with three strikeouts, facing 29 batters. Her wins total stands as the second-most in the conference. The River Hawks fleshed out six hits, one each from Bean, Warner, Kaba, Smallen, Mirabella, and Palumbo, with the latter's double serving as the team's only multi-base hit of the day.
Susquehanna concludes its first season under head coach Caressa DeRossett at 25-16 after winning 28 during its Landmark championship season last year. Following Friday's disappointing 10-3 defeat to Catholic to open the league tournament, the River Hawks hit the comeback trail with a 2-1 win over Scranton and knocking off Catholic 4-1 in nine innings. Susquehanna earned three All-Landmark selections in Bean (First Team – Second Base), Palumbo (First Team – Shortstop), and Warner (Second Team – First Base), with the latter earning mention to the NFCA/Tucci Player of the Year Watch List for Region 5 during the season.
