YORK, PA – A six-run seventh that featured
Lexi Palumbo's record-breaking double for career two-baggers lifted Susquehanna softball to an 8-4 win in the opening game of a doubleheader at York (Pa.) Wednesday.
The non-conference split puts the River Hawks at 16-16 on the year with two more Landmark doubleheaders to play. They head to Wilkes for a twinbill Saturday at 1 p.m., then a home doubleheader against Lycoming Saturday, May 4 starting at 1 p.m.
SUSQUEHANNA 8, YORK 4
Pitcher
Brianna Jones struck out a career-high 12 in the opener to get her 11th win of the year as the River Hawks combined for seven hits and took advantage of four Spartans errors, with five runs coming across unearned. The first to come across was just that in the top of the second. With runners on the corners, the River Hawks put a double steal on that worked to perfection as
Ashleigh Gerber crosse the plate while
Stevie Shaak took second. Shaak then came across later in the inning when
Hannah Roland singled up the middle. York cut it to one in the bottom of the fourth when Morgan Sauers homered to left field as a relatively brisk game turned into a run factory in the seventh.
With two runners on in the top of the seventh
Zoe Bork brought them in on a two-RBI single to extend their lead to 4-1. A few batters later with the bases loaded, Gerber had an RBI single that also brought in another run off an error to make it 6-1. Susquehanna's last offering in the top of the frame was
Hailey Kaba's two-RBI single to bring home Shaak and Gerber. The Spartans wouldn't go away quietly as they led off the bottom half of the seventh with a pair of singles, setting the stage for Emma Wade to send a three-run shot to left center and cut the lead in half. After a walk and another single, Jones settled down to retire the next three batters, making pinch hitter Emma Keller pop out to short and striking out Reagan Wolford and Rylee Dreyer.
YORK 9, SUSQUEHANNA 0
York wasted no time in the latter game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to lead 2-0. The only hit Susquehanna could muster in the contest came from a
Lexi Palumbo single as Spartans' pitcher Kyrsten Coppage struck out seven. River Hawks pitcher
Amanda Amerman bounced back from the two-run first allowing just one hit over the next two innings, but York's bats returned with a vengeance with five hits and seven runs in the bottom of the fourth.
