SCRANTON, Pa. ­­– The Lebanon Valley College softball team delivered a balanced effort in its doubleheader sweep of the University of Scranton, posting 7-5 and 7-2 victories on Wednesday, April 24 at Magis Field. Jordan Walter was the winning pitcher in both contests and made history during the first game, earning her 53^rd career victory for the Flying Dutchmen to become the program's all-time wins leader. 

Game One
This contest was a pitchers' duel through the first two innings, as the starters for the Dutchmen (27-6, 11-1 MAC Freedom) and the Royals (18-15, 2-10 Landmark) kept the matchup scoreless. Erin Sinatra started for Lebanon Valley and began the afternoon by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the first, registering a flyout to left field, a strikeout looking, and a pop out to second base. Sinatra also threw a shutout frame in the bottom of the second, striking out two more batters. 

The Flying Dutchmen opened the scoring in the top of the third inning, taking a 1-0 lead. Katie Muller led off the frame with a walk and later advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Danni Holmes. This was followed by Sam Burns hitting an RBI single into right-center field, driving in Muller. Scranton responded with two runs in the bottom of the third, taking a 2-1 advantage after a single to left field.  

Lebanon Valley answered right back in the top of the fourth inning, going ahead 3-2. The rally began with a one-out single up the middle by Megan Heard, who later came home to tie the game on Muller's RBI single to center field. The club then reclaimed the lead on an RBI single to shortstop by Burns, plating Muller. Sinatra followed this by posting a zero in the bottom half of the fourth, picking up another strikeout. 

The Flying Dutchmen added a tally in the top of the fifth inning, extending their advantage to 4-2. The team went up by two runs after Heard hit a sacrifice RBI groundout back to the pitcher, scoring Lindsey McCurdy. The Royals countered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, taking a 5-4 lead after an RBI double to center, an RBI double down the left-field line, and a sacrifice fly to the center fielder. 
Lebanon Valley continued to battle as the game progressed, going back in front by a score of 6-5 in the top of the sixth inning. Lexi Smith evened the score with a two-out RBI double to left field, scoring Erin Field. LVC then went ahead on Julia Craig's RBI double to left-center field, driving in Smith. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Walter pitched a scoreless frame for the Dutchmen while striking out a batter. 

Lebanon Valley tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh, making it a 7-5 ballgame. Nicole Kratz launched a solo home run over the right-field wall, giving the club a two-run advantage. Walter then secured LVC's victory with another shutout inning in the bottom of the seventh, tossing a 1-2-3 frame with a pair of groundouts and a lineout to Craig at first base. 

Inside the Box Score

• Walter improved her record to 14-4, striking out two batters without allowing a hit during 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. This marks the senior's 53^rd career victory, setting the program record for career wins by a pitcher. Val Malizzia's was previously LVC's all-time leader with 52 wins. 
• Kratz hit her first home run of the season. 
• Burns recorded game-highs with two RBIs and two stolen bases while tying a game-high two hits. 
• Heard tied a game-high and season-high two hits with a double. The sophomore also registered an RBI and a run scored. 
• Muller also tied a game-high and season-high two hits while tying a game-most two walks. The first-year had an RBI and scored a season-high two runs as well. 
• Smith hit her first double of the season while walking, stealing a base, driving in a run, and crossing the plate once. 
• Craig hit an RBI double in the sixth inning.
• Field scored the tying run in the sixth.
• McCurdy picked up a base hit and scored a run. 
• Holmes tallied a base hit. 
• Sinatra recorded six strikeouts in her start. 

Game Two
Lebanon Valley (28-6, 11-1 MAC Freedom) didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard in the second contest, taking a 2-0 lead over Scranton (18-16, 2-10 Landmark) in the top of the first inning. Smith got the offense going with a one-out single through the left side before stealing second base. Craig followed this by sending an RBI double into right-center field, scoring Smith. Later in the inning, Craig crossed the plate on a wild pitch. The Royals responded by trimming their deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first, as a runner came home to score from third base while the runner on first base was caught in a rundown and picked off by LVC. 

Scranton added another run in the bottom of the second inning, tying the game at 2-2 on an RBI groundout to shortstop. The Flying Dutchmen answered in the top of the third, taking a 3-2 advantage. Smith led off the inning by hitting a ball to third base and reaching on an error before stealing second base. Smith then advanced to third base on a groundout and later scored on an RBI groundout to shortstop by McCurdy. Walter followed this by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the third, recording a strikeout, a pop out to Kratz at third, and another pop out to Kratz in foul territory.

Walter also kept the opposition scoreless during the next two innings, maintaining Lebanon Valley's one-run lead through the bottom of the fifth inning. The Dutchmen then posted a big four-run inning in the top of the sixth, extending their advantage to 7-2. McCurdy got the rally started with a one-out triple into right-center field before coming home to score on a wild pitch. Later in the frame, Nikki Sellers hit an RBI bunt single back to the pitcher to score Erin Pattillo. Then with two outs, Holmes drove a two-run double into right-center field to plate Heard and Field. 

Walter proceeded to post another zero in the bottom of the sixth before closing out LVC's second win of the day in the bottom of the seventh. The senior secured the 7-2 victory with three groundouts in the final frame, recording the final out with a grounder to Heard at shortstop.  

Inside the Box Score

• Walter advanced her record to 15-4 this spring, registering another strikeout during a complete-game effort. 
• Sellers tied a career-high and game-high two hits while driving in a run. The first baseman also tallied a season-high 10 putouts while recording her first assist of the year. 
• Holmes also tied a career-high and game-high two hits while registering a game-high two RBIs.
• Smith logged a base hit and tied a game-high two stolen bases while tying a season-high two runs scored.
• Craig hit an RBI double and scored a run. 
• McCurdy hit her fifth triple of the season while recording an RBI and a run scored.
• Heard stole a base and crossed the plate once. The shortstop also tied a career-high six assists at shortstop, tying for the most by an LVC player this year. 
• Pattillo tied a game-high two stolen bases and had a run scored. 
• Field stole a base and scored a run. 
• Kratz drew a walk. 
• LVC tied a season-high 16 assists in the field. 

Up Next
Lebanon Valley will return to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, as the program will host Arcadia University for its final MAC Freedom matchup of the regular season in a doubleheader at LVC Softball Park. The second game of the afternoon is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. 

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