VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Nikki Sellers fouled off multiple pitches before coming up with a huge two-out single up the middle that scored
Megan Heard from second base to give the Lebanon Valley softball team a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Gettysburg College on Thursday afternoon to open NCAA Regional play on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach.
In a dominant pitching matchup, both teams went down in order in the first inning. The third-seeded Bullets (28-12) got on the board in the top of the second after a pair of singles to begin the inning. A fielder's choice put runners at the corners with one out before
Danni Holmes threw out the runner trying to steal second for the second out. LVC looked like they would get out of the inning unscathed, but an error allowed the run to score.
Nicole Kratz had the first hit of the game for the Dutchmen (34-8) with a two-out double to left field in the bottom of the second. She was stranded there as the Bullets got out of the inning. Gettysburg took advantage of LVC's second error of the game in the third inning as they scored the runner after back-to-back singles that put runners on first and second with one out.
Jordan Walter got out of the jam with a ground ball up the middle that
Lexi Smith tossed to Heard at shortstop for the second out. Smith then caught a popup to end the threat. Heard reached in the bottom of the inning with a two-out single that blooped over the pitcher's head but was stranded at first.
The Bullets had a pair of one-out singles in the fourth after Walter made a great grab on a liner back up the middle. The senior got out of the inning with a grounder to Heard at short and then an easy fly ball for
Sam Burns to catch in left.
Julia Craig led off the bottom of the inning with a two-base error that put her on second with no outs. Sellers came in to pinch run for Craig and made an immediate impact as she used great base running to advance to third on a grounder to short. Kratz was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners with two outs before
Erin Pattillo knocked in a run with a single up the middle.
Walter shut the Bullets down in order in the fifth to bring the Dutchmen right back up to the plate. Holmes led off with a single to center but was to get past second base before Gettysburg recorded three outs. Walter got the first two outs of the sixth on a fly ball to
Lindsey McCurdy in center and then a grounder to Heard at short. After a single up the middle, Burns caught a fly ball in left for the final out of the inning.
McCurdy led off the bottom of the sixth with a big triple to the gap in right center. Burns knocked her in with a perfectly placed bunt that tied the game at two. The Bullets were able to get out of the inning with no more runs across as the game went to the seventh inning tied. Heard made a pair of great fielding plays to begin the seventh grabbing a hard liner and then running down a ball over her shoulder to stop it from blooping into left field for a hit. The Bullets had a two-out single to center but Walter got out of the inning with a popup in front of home plate that she caught for the final out.
Heard started the rally in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out infield single to the shortstop. She advanced to second on a wild pitch with two out and Sellers at the plate. Sellers had a 1-2 count and fouled off multiple pitches before hit a single up the middle that the shortstop was able to grab but the throw to first went wide. Heard never stopped running from second and came around to score the winning run.
Inside the Box
- Heard had two hits to lead the Dutchmen at the plate. She was also impressive in the field with five putouts and two assists.
- Sellers was 1-2 with a run scored. The sophomore recorded the first walk-off hit of her career.
- Walter earned her 19th win of the year with a complete game eight hitter. Both of the Bullets runs were unearned and she stuck out two.
- McCurdy hit her seventh triple of the year and scored the tying run.
- Burns knocked in a run with bunt single and made four putouts in left.
- Kratz hit her 11th double of the year, walked, and was hit by a pitch in her three plate appearances.
- The Dutchmen have now won the last six meetings with the Bullets.This was the first meeting between the programs since 2022.
Up Next
LVC will take on host and top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan tomorrow morning with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. at Broyles Field. The Dutchmen will be the home team against the eighth-ranked Marlins after winning a coin toss following today's games. VWU defeated Eastern Connecticut 6-1 in the first game of the regional.
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