Game 1 Box Score  Game 2 Box Score

READING, Pa. – Lebanon Valley won the opener 3-2 and put up a furious rally in the second game before falling 14-12 to come away with a split at Albright College in Commonwealth Conference softball action Tuesday afternoon.

With one conference doubleheader left, Lebanon Valley (15-11, 6-6 CC) finds itself tied with Albright (11-20, 6-6 CC) for fourth in the Commonwealth standings. The top four teams in the conference earn a bid in the Commonwealth playoffs.

Freshman Kristen Uhas had an outstanding day at the plate for the Flying Dutchmen, going 6-for-7 with a home run and six RBIs while senior Jenn Parks finished 4-for-8.

In the first game, Albright scored on an error in the bottom of the first, and the Lions' 1-0 lead held up through the first three innings. But in the fourth, it was an Albright error that led to the Valley's first run, making it 1-1.

Uhas came up big for the Dutchmen in the sixth, ripping a two-out, two-run double to give her team a 3-1 advantage. The Lions immediately made it a one-run game with back-to-back doubles leading off the bottom of the inning, but Roberts retired the next three batters to get out of the inning.

Albright also threatened in the bottom of the seventh, putting runners on first and second with two outs on a single and walk, but Roberts got a strikeout to come away with the complete-game win.

Parks and Uhas both went 2-for-3 in the opener, with Parks scoring two runs. Roberts (8-6) finished with a six-hitter to go with seven strikeouts.

Meredith Mayes (7-6) suffered the loss while going the distance for Albright. Mayes scattered seven hits and struck out six.

The second game was a stark contrast to the opener, as it featured a combined total of 30 hits and four home runs. Albright scored all 14 of its runs over the first four innings, when it ripped all but two of its 16 hits.

Lebanon Valley took a 3-0 lead in the first, posting three runs on three hits, two walks and a hit batsman before the Lions rallied with five runs in the bottom of the frame, getting a three-run homer from Alex Keyes.

Albright pushed its lead to 9-3 with a four-run, four hit second, capped by Keyes' second-straight three-run dinger.

After the Valley scored once in the top of the third, the Lions made it an 11-4 game with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Mayes continued Albright's power surge with a two-run homer.

The Dutchmen used the long ball to their advantage in the fourth, when Uhas blasted her first collegiate home run. Her two-run shot pulled the Valley to within 11-7, but Albright answered with a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 14-7.

Lebanon Valley refused to go away, however, getting two runs on four hits in the sixth while freshman reliever Allix Sanders cooled off Albright's bats, blanking the Lions in the fifth and sixth as the scoreboard read 14-9 heading into the seventh.

After junior Lauren Sanford reached on an error, freshman Caitlin Keller and senior Amy Batz ripped back-to-back singles to load the bases with nobody out against Mayes, who came on in relief to get the final out in the sixth. Sophomore Crystal Nolen made it 14-9 with an RBI-groundout before Uhas followed up with a two-run single. However, Mayes induced a line-out and pop-out to end the game.

Uhas went 4-for-4 with four RBIs in the nightcap while sophomore Katie DeJulio was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Batz finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and junior Jessica Salisbury was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Parks also had two hits in Game Two.

Keyes went 3-for-5 and finished with seven RBIs in the nightcap for Albright.

Senior Nicolle Henry (1-1) started in the circle and was charged with the loss for LVC after throwing one inning. Roberts came on to throw two innings of relief before Sanders worked the final three frames without allowing an earned run.

Becky Moist (3-10) earned the win for Albright despite allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits over 5 2/3.

Lebanon Valley hosts Wilkes University in a non-conference doubleheader at Thursday starting at 3:30 p.m.

[Photo - Senior Jenn Parks]

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