Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Senior Kristin Crouse (Columbia, Pa./Columbia) drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th in the second game of a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader and Lebanon Valley salvaged a split with Albright College Saturday afternoon at the LVC Softball Park.
Albright won the first game 4-2, and Crouse's walk-off single gave the Valley a 4-3 victory in the nightcap.
With the win, Lebanon Valley (13-16, 7-7 CC) qualified for the Commonwealth Conference playoffs, which will be held at the LVC Softball Park on April 30-May 1, for the first time since 2001. The Flying Dutchmen finished in a three-way tie for second place in the conference with Juniata and Susquehanna, but earned the second seed in the conference tournament through a tiebreaking procedure. LVC will meet third seed Susquehanna at 1 p.m. on Friday, while top seed Moravian will open the tournament against fourth seed Juniata at 11 a.m. on Friday.
Senior Kelli Kaelbert tossed a four-hit shutout in the opener for Albright. Kaelbert (7-8) walked one and struck out three while working her 12th complete game of the season.
The Lions jumped to a 1-0 lead after a two-hit first. Lebanon Valley answered with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to make it a 2-1 game. Freshman Audrey Benner (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) led off with an infield single before Crouse reached on an error by the shortstop. Benner and Crouse both went on to score after a throw to third on a fielder's choice got past the third baseman and rolled down the leftfield line.
Despite roping seven hits over the first three innings, Albright still trailed by a run heading into the fourth. But that's when the Lions finally broke through against LVC starter Jenn Roberts (East Petersburg, Pa./Hempfield). Albright scored twice on four hits in the inning to take the lead for good. The Lions added an insurance run in the top of the seventh off reliever Jess Cooney (Rockledge, Pa./Abington).
Sophomore Meredith Hippert went 4-for-4 to lead a 14-hit attack for Albright in the opener while freshman Gina Kobylinski collected three hits.
Roberts (5-8) surrendered three runs on 11 hits and no walks while striking out one. Cooney gave up one run on three hits and no walks. She fanned three.
Albright left 10 runners on base in Game One.
In the second game, LVC took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Albright starter Ashley Young when Crouse singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored two batters later when junior Melissa Ulrich (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico) singled to right.
The Lions tied it up in the third against LVC starter Kelly O'Toole (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) on a double, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. But LVC came back to take the lead, scoring twice in the bottom of the frame. Ulrich drove in her second run of the afternoon after smashing a pitch past the shortstop and into leftfield. O'Toole made it a 3-2 game by driving in a run on a fielder's choice.
Albright evened the score once again in the fifth on a two-out wild pitch. Hippert swung and missed at a third strike, but the high pitch sailed over catcher Mandi Nace (Liverpool, Pa./Greenwood), allowing senior Terry Castro to score from third.
In the meantime, Young began to settle in for the Lions, and she retired 12 batters in a row from the third through the seventh innings. LVC had the winning run on second in the bottom of the seventh, but junior Ilyse Resnick (Holland, Pa./Council Rock) was thrown out stealing at third to end the inning.
O'Toole was replaced by sophomore Alisa Albers (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) in the eighth, and Albers (2-5) would go on to shut out the Lions over the final three innings. She worked out of a pair of jams, leaving runners on first and second in the ninth before stranding runners on second and third in the 10th.
International tie-breaking rules came into effect in the 10th, in which each team led off by placing a runner at second base. Resnick was placed at second to start the 10th for LVC, and Benner advanced her to third with a sacrifice bunt. Then with the outfield drawn in, Crouse belted a line drive over the centerfielder's head for the game-winning hit.
Crouse and Ulrich each finished with two hits in the nightcap for LVC, while Castro led Albright with three hits.
Young (7-5) struck out seven and walked one while suffering the loss. She surrendered seven hits.
Albright left 11 runners on base in the nightcap.
[Photo - Senior Kristin Crouse, who drove in the game-winning run in LVC's 4-3, 10-inning win over Albright on Saturday]
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