Game 1 Box Score   Game 2 Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Freshmen Kelly O'Toole (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) and Jenn Roberts (East Petersburg, Pa./Hempfield) each threw a five-hit complete game as the Lebanon Valley College softball team swept Susquehanna University in a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at the LVC Softball Park.

Lebanon Valley (9-12, 5-3 CC) won 2-1 in the opener on a two-run, two-out single off the bat of freshman Amy Batz (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) in the bottom of the sixth. Roberts then fired her second collegiate shutout in a 3-0 victory in the nightcap.

In the first game, Susquehanna (11-7, 3-4 CC) jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after a two-out walk followed by a triple to right-center from senior Becky Mann. But O'Toole (4-0) settled in and allowed the Crusaders to advance beyond first base just twice the rest of the game.

Susquehanna starter Heather Litzebauer was extremely effective in the early going, and didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning. Litzebauer (5-3) faced just one batter over the minimum through the first four innings, and she struck out five in a row from the second through the fifth innings.

LVC finally broke through in the sixth when junior Gina Battistelli (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) reached on an error to lead off the inning. She was bunted over to second on a sacrifice by junior Ilyse Resnick (Holland, Pa./Council Rock), and one batter later freshman Audrey Benner (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) singled up the middle. Battistelli was unable to advance to third on the play, but she and Benner both moved up on a groundout one batter later, putting runners on second and third. Batz then delivered her game-winning hit, a line-drive single into center.

Susquehanna threatened in the seventh, as freshman Kelly McHale led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout one batter later. But O'Toole held on by forcing a lineout and a groundout to end the game.

Litzebauer finished with eight strikeouts and no walks, and both of her runs were unearned. O'Toole did not strike out a batter but she yielded only one walk.

Another Susquehanna error led to Lebanon Valley's first run in Game Two. In the second inning, Roberts singled with two outs, and she moved to second on an error by the pitcher. Sophomore Lisa DiCristofaro (Wilmington, Del./Concord) followed up with a single to left-center, scoring Roberts.

The Flying Dutchmen padded their lead with a run in the fourth and fifth. Roberts helped herself with an RBI-single in the fourth, and Crouse doubled and scored on an error in the fifth.

Roberts (3-6) tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts and walked only two batters. At the plate, she went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

Crouse and DiCristofaro each finished 2-for-3 with a double for LVC. Freshman Sara Shaffer and sophomore Kris Brown collected two hits apiece for Susquehanna.

Sophomore Jess Nastelli started for the Crusaders and went the distance. Nastelli (4-3) gave up six hits and one walk while striking out three. Only one of her runs was earned.

Lebanon Valley returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Elizabethtown College in another Commonwealth Conference doubleheader.

[Photo - Freshman Jenn Roberts, who threw a five-hit shutout and struck out 11 in a 3-0 win over Susquehanna on Thursday]

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