ANNVILLE, Pa. – Julia Craig hit a walk-off single through the right side to give the Lebanon Valley softball team a thrilling 5-4 victory over Misericordia University in game two of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon to give the Dutchmen a split against the Cougars in a battle for first place in the conference standings.
 
The split allows the Dutchmen (15-5, 7-1 MAC Freedom) to stay atop the conference standings with the Cougars (15-7, 6-2 MAC Freedom) a game back.
 
Game One
Misericordia put two runners in scoring position in the first two innings, but each time Jordan Walter was able to work out of the jam with no runs across. Lindsey McCurdy had a two-out single to left in the bottom of the second for LVC's first hit of the day. She stole second and then the Dutchmen loaded the bases on back-to-back walks by Megan Heard and Nikki Sellers. The Cougars were able to get a popup to second to get out of the inning.
 
LVC plated the first run of the game in the third with another two-out rally. Craig hit a double to left field and then scored on a Nicole Kratz double down the right field line. The Cougars responded in the top of the fourth on a leadoff single up the middle, two groundouts to get the runner to third, and then an infield single to first base on a hard linear off that Craig was able to get a glove on but couldn't hold on for the out.
 
The Dutchmen were able to load the bases up with two outs in the bottom of the fourth on two walks and a single down the line by Danni Holmes. Misericordia got out of the inning as their pitcher made a nice grab on a hard-hit ball up the middle by Lexi Smith for the third out. The Cougars took the lead in the sixth on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly to center field. LVC drew two walks in the bottom of the inning and had runners on second and third but were unable to score. Misericordia put the Dutchmen down in order in the seventh to hold on for the win.
 
Inside the Box

• Craig hit her fifth double of the year and scored a run. In the field, she had six putouts.
• Kratz knocked in a run with her team-leading seventh double of the season.
• Sellers drew two walks while McCurdy had a hit and drew a walk.
• Holmes also had a hit and drew a walk in three plate appearances.
• Walter struck out five batters in the complete game effort in the circle.

Game Two
The teams were locked in another pitching duel through the first couple of innings. Erin Sinatra struck out four hitters in the first couple of innings while Megan Heard had the first hit of the game with two outs in the second. The Cougars got on the board first with a run in the third inning on a pair of singles and a wild pitch. The Dutchmen struck right back in the bottom of the inning. Erin Pattillo led off the inning with a single down the first base line. She stole second and then scored a couple batters later on another two-out double by Craig.
 
The game remained tied at one until the bottom of the sixth. After Sinatra came up with a big strikeout to end the top half with the bases loaded, Craig drew a one-out walk and then Kratz was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. The Dutchmen had Erin Field and Catherine Stone pinch run for the runners on the bases to give LVC a little more speed. Katie Muller drew a walk to load the bases. McCurdy drove in a run with a single up the middle and then Heard drove in another run with a single through the right side. It appeared as if Emily Mitchell drove in another run with a single through the right side, but the field umpire ruled the runner interfered with Misericordia's second baseman trying to make the play and was called out with the runners having to go back to their original bases. The Cougars got a grounder to first to get out of the inning.
 
In the seventh, Misericordia plated three runs on two hits to take a 4-3 lead. The Cougars drew a leadoff walk and then had an infield single. The runners were moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt before a double to left center tied the game at three. The go-ahead run scored two batters later on a fielder's choice to Heard at shortstop where she threw home, but the throw was late. Walter got out of the jam with a ground ball to second where Smith was able to throw the Cougar baserunner out at home and then a big strikeout.
 
Maddy Gronback led off the bottom of the inning with a double to left center that one-hopped the wall. Burns drove in the tying run with a triple to left center as she raced around the bases and just beat the relay to third. Craig then drove her in with a single through the right side to end the game.
 
Inside the Box

• Craig had two hits including a double while knocking in two runs.
• McCurdy and Heard had two hits and knocked in a run each.
• Burns had a triple, scored a run, and knocked in a run in the seventh inning.
• Pattillo had a hit, scored a run, and stole a base.
• Sinatra struck out eight in 6.1 innings of work.
• Walter got the win in the circle as she got the final two outs and struck out one.

Up Next
LVC will be right back at the Softball Park on Monday afternoon as they host Franklin & Marshall College for a pair of non-conference games beginning at 3 p.m.

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