VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Lebanon Valley softball team's amazing season came to an end as eighth-ranked Virginia Wesleyan University defeated the Dutchmen 8-0 in the Virginia Beach Regional Championship game on a rainy Saturday at Broyles Field.
Jordan Walter and
Megan Heard were named to the All-Tournament Team for the Dutchmen for their performances over the four games. Walter pitched 22 innings and went 2-0 at the Regional with a 1.59 earned run average and six strikeouts. Heard had three hits in 12 at-bats including a double. The sophomore scored the game-winning run in the 3-2 victory over Gettysburg and in the 2-1 victory over Eastern Connecticut State. She was also great in the field with eight putouts and seven assists on 15 chances.
LVC (35-10) went down in order in the top of the first with three hard-hit ground balls to the right side. The Marlins (38-8) started the bottom of the inning with a single and a walk.
Erin Sinatra struck out the next hitter before VWU took the lead with a three-run home run down the line in left. A double and a walk put two runners back on base before Sinatra got out of the jam with a pop up to
Lexi Smith at second and a grounder to Heard at short.
The Dutchmen were retired in order in the second inning.
Lindsey McCurdy ran in the catch a fly ball to short center for the first out of the bottom of the inning before a bunt single to third. Heard caught a pop up and then made a great decision to get the runner going to third on a ground ball for the final out of the inning.
Mackenzie Willey had the Dutchmen's first hit of the game in the third on a line drive to right center with two outs. Heard hit a comebacker that was snagged by the pitcher for the final out of the inning. VWU put runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom half on a single and a walk. The Marlins scored three runs on a triple and single to increase the lead of 6-0. VWU put runners on second and third against Walter who relieved Sinatra in the circle and scored two more runs on an infield single to second where Smith made a great diving grab to keep the ball in the infield. Smith then caught a pop up to get the Dutchmen out of the inning.
LVC hit the ball hard in the fourth but were only able to get a two-out single to right field by McCurdy. The Marlins had back-to-back singles to start the bottom half, but Walter worked out of trouble with a grounder to
Erin Pattillo at third, a strikeout, and a grounder back up the middle that she grabbed and threw to first for the out. Virginia Wesleyan was able to put the Dutchmen down in order in the fifth to end the game and advance to next weekend's Super Regionals.
Inside the Box
- McCurdy had a single and made two putouts in the field.
- Willey was 1-1 at the plate with a single.
- Heard had two assists and one putout at shortstop.
- Walter struck out one and allowed four hits in 1.1 innings of relief.
- Smith made two putouts at second base while Patttillo had two putouts and one assist at third.
- LVC finished with 35 wins, one shy of the school record. It marks the first time in program history the program has won at least 35 games in back-to-back years.
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