Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Lebanon Valley clinched its third consecutive Commonwealth Conference playoff berth Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader from Widener with 5-4 and 10-2 (6) wins.

Sophomore Kristen Palmerio went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI in game one, and senior Kristen Uhas added two RBIs. In the second game, junior Meghan Donoghue was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while senior Allie Davies posted two runs batted in.

The Dutchmen (21-7, 9-1 CC) will be the host school for the CC playoffs, which take place May 7-8 at the LVC Softball Park. Lebanon Valley has won the conference once, in 2008.

GAME ONE
The Dutchmen reached the scoreboard early, scoring two runs in the first inning. Palmerio hit a double to right center and junior Katie Freeman reached first after being hit by a pitch. Uhas sent both runners home with a double to right field.

Lebanon Valley added two more runs in the third with Palmerio starting things off again with a single to right field. Palmerio scored on a double to right by Donoghue, and a single to left from Freeman scored the second run of the inning.

Widener fought back in the fourth, scoring three runs on four hits. With two outs, pitcher Kim Dougherty hit a double to right field. Shortstop Steph Connolly followed with a home run to right field to cut LVC's lead to two runs, and a single to center scored another run for Widener. The Pride tied the game in the fifth with Astyn DiNorscia scoring off a single to center by Dougherty.

Palmerio continued her hot streak in the fifth inning with a lead-off homer to right center, giving LVC the one run lead.

Junior Laura Snyder relieved starting pitcher Val Malizzia in the seventh inning, allowing one walk before retiring the next two batters for her second save of the season. Malizzia pitched six innings, striking out one for her tenth win of the season.

GAME TWO
Lebanon Valley started strong, loading the bases with the first five batters in the lineup. A tough first outing from Widener pitcher Kelsey Shultz allowed three Dutchmen runners to cross home plate off walks. Shultz got out of the bases loaded jam with a groundout.

The Dutchmen took a 5-0 lead in the third inning with Freeman opening with a double to right field. A single from Davies scored Freeman, and an error by the fielder allowed Davies to move to second. Freshman Steffani Secola moved Davies to third with a single, and sophomore Chelsea Detwiler reached on an error. Classmate Chelsea Kehr drew a walk to load the bases, but Shultz again got out of the jam with a strikeout and ground out to strand the three runners on the base paths.

Widener reached the scoreboard in the fourth with two runs scoring. Dougherty started with a single to left and scored off a double to deep right by Shultz. The Pride added another run in the inning off a sacrifice fly to center field.

LVC added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs. Donoghue opened with a double to left field and scored off a triple to right by Freeman. A ground out by Davies scored Freeman for the second run. Donoghue tacked on another run in the fifth, scoring Datres off a single to right.

LVC's starting pitcher Snyder held Widener off in the sixth, retiring three straight batters after the first three hitters reached base.

The Dutchmen ended the game in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs to take an eight run lead. Junior Marisa Krause scored on a passed ball and a single from Kehr scored a run to end the contest.

Snyder pitched six innings, allowing two runs on six hits and posting eight strikeouts.

LVC hosts Ursinus on Tuesday for a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m.