VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Jordan Walter threw 13.2 innings to lead the Dutchmen into the Regional Championship round as the Lebanon Valley softball team split a pair of games on Friday at Virginia Wesleyan University. The host Marlins defeated LVC 9-0 in the first game of the day before the Dutchmen rallied to defeat Eastern Connecticut State University 2-1 in nine innings of an elimination game.
 
Game One
Eighth-ranked and top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan (37-8) used a big second inning to build a 7-0 lead. Erin Sinatra got the first two batters of the game out before a double and a wild pitch put a runner at third in the top of the first. Sinatra got out of the jam with a fly ball to Lindsey McCurdy in center. In the bottom of the inning, McCurdy had a two-out single to right center for LVC's first hit of the game.
 
VWU loaded the bases in the second on two walks and a single. Sinatra got a strikeout before a walk brought in the first run of the game. The next two batters hit singles to plate three runs. The Dutchmen made a call to the bullpen and brought in Walter who walked the first batter she faced and then allowed a bases-clearing triple down the leftfield line. Walter got the next batter to strikeout and then got out of the jam with a grounder to Megan Heard at short.
 
Sam Burns led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single to third. Two batters later Erin Pattillo singled up the middle to put runners on first and second with one out. The Marlins got out of the jam with two ground ball outs. Walter put the Marlins down in order in the third and fourth innings. Julia Craig had a two-out single down the line in left in the bottom of the fourth but was stranded at first.
 
The fifth inning started with a single and two bunts later put a runner at third with two outs for the Marlins. Walter induced a grounder to Lexi Smith at second to get out of the inning. Megan Heard drew a two-out walk in the bottom half but was stranded at first. VWU added two runs in the sixth on a two-out single, walk, and double to left center. LVC went down in order in the bottom of the inning as Virginia Wesleyan clinched a spot in the Championship round.
 
Inside the Box

• Walter threw 4.2 innings of relief and struck out two while allowing just four hits.
• McCurdy had a hit and made three putouts in the field.
• Craig had a hit and made seven putouts at first base.
• Pattillo had a hit and made three nice plays at third for three assists.
• Burns had a hit and made a putout in left.
• Heard walked once and made two assists and a putout at shortstop.

Game Two
The Dutchmen (35-10) and Warriors (24-18-1) played an exciting extra inning affair where hits were at a premium. ECSU got the first hit of the game in the bottom of the first on a ball back up the middle that deflected off Walter. The senior got the next hitter to ground out to first. Neither team was able to get a runner on base until the fourth when Craig drew a two-out walk for LVC's first base runner of the game. The Warriors got out of the inning with a ground ball to the shortstop.
 
Eastern Connecticut State scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth as they took advantage of a leadoff walk. The leadoff runner stole second and then scored on back-to-back sacrifice bunts back to Walter. The score remained 1-0 until the seventh as LVC went into the inning still looking for the first hit of the game.
 
Lexi Smith led off the inning and broke up the no-hitter as she beat out a chopper to the third baseman. Craig moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt and then she advanced to third on a McCurdy groundout to second. Nicole Kratz came up with the big hit and her two-out single up the middle tied the game up.
 
ECSU had a one-out single in the bottom of the inning and was able to move the runner over to third with two outs. Walter got out of the inning with a grounder to Smith at second. Neither team was able to score in a quick eighth inning. Heard led off the ninth with a double to the gap in right center. Smith moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt in front of the plate. Craig gave the Dutchmen the lead with a huge single that was just out of the reach of the second baseman on the first pitch she saw to score Heard.
 
The Warriors led off the bottom of the inning with a walk. The next hitter flew out to Burns in left before a single put runners at first and second. ECSU opted to sacrifice the runners over with a bunt in front of the plate that Danni Holmes made a great play on the get the out. Walter got the final out as Craig made an excellent play on a foul pop up near the dugout, catching the ball before stumbling into the dugout.
 
Inside the Box

• Walter earned her 20th win of the year with an incredible nine-inning effort. The senior allowed just four total hits and two walks while striking out one.
• Craig recorded her 100th career run batted in with another clutch single. The senior made 10 putouts in the field.
• Heard hit her fifth double of the year and scored the game-winning run for the second time this weekend. The shortstop had a putout and an assist in the field.
• Smith had a busy game with a single and the game-tying run. She had seven putouts and three assists at second base.
• Kratz knocked in the game-tying run with a huge two-out single in the top of the seventh.
• The defense was fantastic behind Walter making big play after big play.
• Burns had four putouts in left while Pattillo made a few nice plays at third for two putouts and two assists.
• The Dutchmen eliminated the Warriors for the second consecutive season in game five of a regional.

Up Next
LVC and Virginia Wesleyan are scheduled to meet in the Championship round on Saturday afternoon. The Dutchmen will need to beat the Marlins twice in order to advance to next weekend's Super Regionals. Game one is set for a 1 p.m. start in Virginia Beach.

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