DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley softball team swept host Delaware Valley University by scores of 3-1 and 10-2 on Saturday afternoon in Doylestown to stay atop the MAC Freedom standings and clinch a berth into conference tournament.
 
Game One
The Aggies kept the Dutchmen off the board until the fifth inning in a pitcher's duel. DVU threaten to score in the first inning after a one-out single. A stolen base and a wild pitch put the runner on third before Erin Sinatra got out of the jam with a strikeout and fly ball to right. The Aggies got on the scoreboard in the second with a leadoff single and, a two-out double to left, and then a single to left where the runner on second was thrown out at home.
 
Lexi Smith had a leadoff single in the fourth for LVC's first hit of the game. She stole second but was stranded there as the Aggies got out of the inning without the ball leaving the infield. The Dutchmen tied the game up in the fifth on two hits and an error. Megan Heard singled through the right side to lead off the inning. Katie Muller singled to left two batters later and then the two runners advanced on a wild pitch. Heard scored with two outs on a fielding error by the shortstop.
 
The score remained tied until the seventh inning when LVC had a big two-run inning. Erin Pattillo led off with a single up the middle. Nikki Sellers had a one-out pinch-hit single through the right side to put runners at the corners. Smith loaded the bases with two out on an infield single to third before Julia Craig came up with a big single to center scoring the two runs. Sinatra put the Aggies down in order in the bottom of the inning to earn the thrilling comeback victory.
 
Inside the Box

• Sinatra struck out four to earn her 12th victory of the season. The senior allowed just one run on six hits.
• Craig knocked in the game-winning runs in the seventh for her team-leading fifth multi-RBI game of the year.
• Smith led the offense with her eighth multi-hit game of the season. She also stole a base.
• Lindsey McCurdy hit her third double of the year and stole a base.
• Heard and Pattillo had a hit and scored a run apiece.
• Catherine Stone stole a base and scored a run in a pinch-running appearance.

Game Two
After a scoreless first inning, the Dutchmen got on the board in the second. Megan Heard had a one-out single, stole second, and then was knocked in by Sellers. The Aggies responded in the bottom of the inning with three hits to plate two runs. DVU put the Dutchmen down in order in the third and had three consecutive singles in the bottom of the inning but were unable to score as McCurdy threw a runner out at home to save a run.
 
Smith led off a big fourth inning with a single through the left side. She stole second and then advanced to third on a Craig single through the right side. Stone came in to run for Craig and stole her second base of the afternoon to put runners on second and third. McCurdy gave LVC the lead with a two-RBI single up the middle. Heard put runners on the corners with a single through the right side and then stole second. Two batters later Pattillo knocked in a run with a single back up the middle off the pitcher and then Heard scored on a Muller groundout to first to give the Dutchmen a 5-2 advantage.
 
Jordan Walter did the rest in the circle as she held DVU to just three base runners the rest of the way. The Dutchmen offense, however, was not done scoring as they added three more runs in the sixth. Sellers had a leadoff single up the middle before Pattillo and Muller had back-to-back bunt singles back to the pitcher. Danni Holmes had a big double to left that scored two runs and made DVU make a call to the bullpen. Muller scored the final run of the inning on a passed ball.
 
The Dutchmen plated two more runs in the seventh to set the final score. Brooke Edwards and Macy Buskey started the inning with pinch-hit walks. Edwards scored on a Mackenzie Willey pinch hit single up the middle that was misplayed by the center fielder and then Buskey scored two batters later as she was knocked in by Holmes.
 
Inside the Box

• Walter won her 12th game of the year in the circle for her 50th career win. The senior struck out two and walked just one.
• Holmes had a big double and three runs batted in for her first multi-RBI game of the year.
• McCurdy had two hits and knocked in two runs. She scored a run and had one big assist in the field.
• Heard had two hits, stole two bases, and scored twice. She was busy at shortstop with three putouts and five assists.
• Smith had a hit and a walk with a run scored. The second baseman stole two bases and had five assists with one putout in the field.
• Muller had two hits, scored a run, and knocked in a run. Sellers also had a hit, run scored, and run batted in.
• The Dutchmen have clinched a berth into the MAC Freedom Championships and sit first in the standings, a game ahead of Misericordia, with just one doubleheader left to play.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will be back in action tomorrow after with a home non-conference doubleheader against Lycoming College. Game one against the Warriors is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the LVC Softball Park.

Stay Connected
Be sure to follow @lvcathletics on Instagram, X, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage of LVC Athletics.