WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Jordan Walter and Erin Sinatra recorded the 300th strikeout of their careers on Sunday afternoon to lead the Lebanon Valley softball team to a doubleheader sweep of King's College at the Betzler Athletic Complex in Wilkes-Barre. LVC won the opener 1-0 in eight innings before taking the nightcap 9-1.
 
Game One
Walter recorded her milestone 300th strikeout on the first batter she faced in the bottom of the first inning. Nicole Kratz led off the second inning with a walk and then advanced to second on a one-out single to left by Megan Heard. Lexi Smith sacrificed the runners over to second and third, but the Monarchs got out of the inning with an out. Walter didn't let a Monarch runner advance pass second base until the fourth inning when King's loaded the bases with three consecutive one-out singles. The senior got out of the jam with a strikeout and grounder to Heard at short.
 
Heard doubled to lead off the fifth but was unable to score in the inning. Neither team was able to score until the Dutchmen finally broke through in the eighth. Smith led off the inning by drawing a walk. Nikki Sellers moved her over to second with a sacrifice bunt to third. Sam Burns then drove in Smith with a two-out single to left. In the bottom of the inning, Walter put the Monarchs down in order to earn the shutout victory.
 
Inside the Box

• Walter finished with six strikeouts and scattered seven hits over the eight innings to pick up her ninth win of the year. The senior recorded her fifth shutout of the season.
• Heard had two hits including a double to lead the offense.
• Burns and Lindsey McCurdy had a hit a piece.
• Smith walked and scored the lone run of the game. The second baseman also had two sacrifices in three plate appearances.

Game Two
The Dutchmen (19-5, 9-1 MAC Freedom) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on three hits, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Burns led off the game with a single through the left side. Smith singled to left and then Julia Craig hit a single through the right side. Kratz walked in the first run and then McCurdy hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Smith. Sinatra had a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half with one strikeout. Erin Pattillo led off the second with a single to left and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Maddy Gronback. Burns knocked in the run with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 3-0.
 
LVC broke the game wide open with a four-run third inning. Kratz led off with a walk and then was pinch ran for by Erin Field. McCurdy hit a home run over the fence in left to make it 5-0 with no outs and then Heard singled to center to force the Monarchs to make a pitching change. Pattillo knocked in Heard with a double to left center and then scored as she stole third and the throw went into left field.
 
Sinatra held the Monarchs off the basepaths and struck out two batters in each of the third and fourth innings. King's led off the fifth with a single and two passed balls put the runner on third with two outs. Sinatra got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts, the second of which was her milestone 300th career strikeout.
 
Burns led off the sixth with a double down the line in left and then scored on a Craig single to make it 8-0. King's responded in the bottom of the inning with a unearned run on two hits and error to keep the game going into the seventh. McCurdy led off the inning with an infield single to shortstop and then advanced to second on a Heard single to left. Pattillo hit a one-out double to right center to plate McCurdy with the ninth run of the game. The Monarchs were able to get out of the inning with no more runs across. Sinatra then struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
 
Inside the Box

• Sinatra finished with a season-high 12 strikeouts to improve to 10-1 in the circle. The senior allowed just one unearned run on four hits.
• McCurdy had a big game with three hits, three runs batted in, and two runs scored. She blasted her second home run of the week and eighth of her career.
• Pattillo also had three hits including two doubles. She scored twice and knocked in two runs.
• Burns had two hits and scored twice while knocking in a run.
• Craig also had two hits and knocked in a run.
• LVC improved to 9-1 in conference play and are just one win away from being the first team to clinch a spot in the MAC Freedom Championships.

Up Next
LVC will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as they head to Reading for a non-conference doubleheader at Alvernia University. Game one is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start against the Golden Wolves.

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