Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley College softball team lost a pair of games to Franklin & Marshall College in the Flying Dutchmen’s home-opener Tuesday afternoon at the LVC Softball Park.
Franklin & Marshall (3-3) won the first game 5-2, then scored the go-ahead run in the top seventh en route to a 5-4 win in the nightcap.
Senior Alison Barrett (3-1) won both ends of the twinbill in the circle, as she threw a complete game in the opener before picking up the victory in relief in Game 2.
Sophomore Dana Johns (York, Pa./Eastern York) went 4-for-7 over the two games to lead F&M while freshmen Audrey Benner (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) and Amy Batz (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest)paced LVC with three hits apiece
In the first game, freshman pitcher Jenn Roberts (East Petersburg, Pa./Hempfield) was impressive in the early going for Lebanon Valley (2-6). Roberts retired the first eight batters she faced and struck out seven over the first three innings. In the meantime, Lebanon Valley went ahead 2-0 after a two-run, three-hit third. Benner drove in a run with a triple to left-center, then scored on a suicide squeeze bunt that senior Kristin Crouse (Columbia, Pa./Columbia) beat out at first.
The Diplomats plated their first hit in the top of the fourth, then tied the game with two runs on four errors in the fifth. F&M won the game with three runs in the sixth on a run-scoring single by sophomore Amy Miller (Cinnaminson, N.J.Cinnaminson) and a two-run single by Johns.
Johns went 2-for-4 while Amy Miller scored a pair of runs for F&M. Benner and junior Gina Battistelli (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) each ripped two hits for LVC.
Barrett scattered six hits while striking out six and walking two. In six innings of work, Roberts (0-3) yielded five hits, five runs (three earned) and two walks. She tied a season-high with seven strikeouts.
In the second game, Lebanon Valley rallied twice but couldn’t hold off the Diplomats in the end. F&M took a 1-0 lead in the third then added another run in the fifth. But Lebanon Valley came back with a three-run fifth, as Crouse tied the game with a two-run double before Batz put LVC up a run with an RBI single.
Franklin & Marshall went back in front with a two-run sixth, but LVC answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 4-4. Junior Melissa Ulrich (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico) led off with a single, moved up two bases on wild pitches and scored when home plate was left uncovered.
The Diplomats scored its game-winning run in the seventh on three hits, as sophomore Jonelle Coletta (Point Pleasant Beach, N.J./Point Pleasant Beach) drove in the go-ahead run with a single off LVC reliever Jess Cooney (Rockledge, Pa./Abington), who entered the game at the start of the inning.
Junior Laura De Palma (Toms River, N.J./Toms River) led a 13-hit attack for F&M with a 3-for-4 game at the plate. Senior Jen Fried (Reistertown, Md./Franklin), Johns and Coletta added two hits apiece.
Batz registered a perfect 3-for-3 game for LVC.
Coletta started the game in the circle for the Diplomats but came away with a no-decision. She gave up three runs on seven hits while walking one. In two innings, Barrett surrendered one run on one hit. She struck out two and walked none.
Freshman Kelly O’Toole (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) started on the mound for the Valley and in six innings of work, she surrendered 10 hits, four runs (two earned) and no walks while striking out one. Cooney (0-2) walked none and struck out none.
Lebanon Valley returns to action on Thursday when it travels to Rowan University for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m.
[Photo - Freshman Amy Batz, who was 3-for-3 in the second game of Lebanon Valley's doubleheader against Franklin & Marshall on Tuesday]
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