Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Softball
#15 Lebanon Valley 2, Susquehanna 0
#15 Lebanon Valley 6, Susquehanna 0

ANNVILLE, Pa. - Sam Derr improved to an NCAA-best 18-0 with a pair of shutout wins as Lebanon Valley swept Susquehanna in non-conference play on Wednesday.

The Dutchmen (28-3) won the opener 2-0 thanks to a fourth-inning RBI by Emily Johnson, then slugged 14 hits in the nightcap to win 6-0 over the Crusaders (19-14).

Senior Katie Deardorff became the first player in program history to score 100 runs, coming across on a single by sister Tessa Deardorff as part of a 3-for-4 second game, while taking her career hits total to 164 as she chases the LVC record of 170.

Derr, the reigning ECAC and Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week, lowered her ERA to 0.46 this season with her 10th and 11th consecutive shutout victories, scattering four hits in game one before striking out seven and managing the game well to shut down Crusader chances in game two. Derr's 18-0 mark is the best in NCAA Division III this year as she has not allowed an earned run in her last 44 innings pitched.

Game One
The opener turned into a pitcher's duel between Derr and Morgan Lewis as both retired nine of the first 10 batters faced.

LVC's breakthrough came in the fourth when Derr singled up the middle and Allie Hartman walked to put her in scoring position. Emily Johnson dropped a two-out single into right center to score Derr and put LVC up 1-0.

In the sixth, Derr's led off with a double to the wall in dead center, and she scored again with two outs as Johnson reached on a throwing error by the shortstop. That was all the offense LVC needed, but they did need some defense to secure the win; with two out in the seventh and a runner on first, rightfielder Angela Harris robbed Brittany Devlin of a home run at the fence to end the game.

Derr struck out three and did not issue a walk as she faced three over the minimum. Lewis (10-7) whiffed eight and allowed one earned.

Game Two
Lebanon Valley wasted no time taking the lead in game two, putting three runs across in the first inning to start a 14-hit barrage that gave them a 6-0 win.

Tessa Deardorff scored the game's first run on a failed pickoff attempt at third, and Derr doubled home Sammy Bost before Johnson's RBI double to right brought her pitcher in to make it 3-0 as the Dutchmen batted around in the inning.

Derr again doubled in Bost to go to 4-0 in the second, and Tessa Deardorff singled in Katie Deardorff in the third, then drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to make it 6-0.

Susquehanna was not without their chances; the Crusaders had lead-off hits in four innings and left nine on base overall, but Derr and the defense worked out of trouble each time despite nine SU hits.

Derr struck out seven and again did not allow a walk in the victory, while Jamie Fesinstine (9-7) took the loss with all six runs earned. Tessa Deardorff (2-for-3), Bost (3-for-4), Derr (2-for-4), Johnson (2-for-4), and Katie Deardorff (3-for-4) all had multi-hit games.

Next Time
LVC will host Alvernia on Saturday for Senior Day as they look to clinch the Commonwealth Conference tournament's #1 seed in the regular-season finale.