ANNVILLE, Pa. – Megan Heard knocked in the winning run with a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat DeSales University and win the 2024 Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Softball Championship on Saturday morning at the LVC Softball Park in Annville.
 
Lebanon Valley (33-8) swept through the conference tournament with three victories this weekend to win the first conference title since 2015. The Dutchmen earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament when the field is announced in two weeks on May 13. LVC had a pair of victories over DeSales (28-14) after defeating FDU-Florham on Thursday. The wins over the Bulldogs will help the Dutchmen's resume when it comes time for the NCAA selection as DeSales was ranked fourth in this week's regional rankings while the Dutchmen were first.
 
The game was a great pitcher's duel between Erin Sinatra and Alanna Hartzell. Both pitchers put the batters down in order in the first inning. Sinatra shut the Bulldogs down in the second as Sam Burns made a great diving catch in foul territory for the second out. The senior delivered the first hit of the game in the bottom of the inning with a single up the middle. After she stole second, Erin Pattillo singled to left field putting runners on the corners with one out. Pattillo stole second but the runners were stranded there as Hartzell got a pair of pop ups to second base.
 
Both teams went down in order in the third before the Bulldogs got their first hit of the game in the fourth on a two-out single to left center. Sinatra snagged a hard-hit ball back up the middle and threw it to first for the final out of the inning. LVC went down in order in the bottom of the inning as the game went to the fifth still scoreless. The Bulldogs drew a one-out walk before a sacrifice bunt moved the runner up the second. Another walk put runners on first and second, but Sinatra got out of the inning with a fly ball to Burns in left. Katie Muller had a two-out double in the bottom of the inning and Maddi Gronback walked. Hartzell got out of the jam with a pop up to short.
 
The Bulldogs put a runner on in the top of the sixth with a one-out single up the middle before Sinatra induced a pop up to Smith, Pattillo made a great grab on a hard-hit ball at third and Julia Craig dugout the throw in the dirt for the final out of the inning. Craig singled to center and Lindsey McCurdy singled to left with one out in the bottom of the inning. Burn hit a deep fly to right that moved Catherine Stone, who pinch ran for Craig, to third with two outs. Once again Hartzell was able to get out of the jam with a fly ball to left field. Paige Hromin led off the top of the seventh with a double to left field. A sacrifice bunt moved her over to third with one out. Sinatra got out of the inning with a pop up back to herself and then Gronback caught a foul pop up behind home plate for the final out.
 
Nicole Kratz led off the bottom of the seventh with a standup double down the left field line. She was pinch ran for by Erin Field. Hartzell got a strikeout and a popup to short for two outs before Heard came up to the plate. The shortstop came through with a clutch single up the middle and Field beat the throw home giving LVC an exciting walk-off victory.
 
Inside the Box

• Sinatra earned her 15th win of the year with a complete game three-hitter. The senior struck out three and walked just two.
• Heard was named the MVP of the Championships as she went 4-9 over the three games with three runs scored and three runs batted in. The shortstop made two putouts and one assist in the field.
• Kratz and Muller each had doubles in the game.
• LVC racked up seven hits and a walk against Hartzell.
• Burns was 1-3 with a stolen base and made four putouts in left field.
• McCurdy and Pattillo stole a base each to give the Dutchmen 120 total as a team this year.
• The Dutchmen won the program's fifth conference title and first as a member of the MAC Freedom. LVC will be making the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will wait two weeks until the NCAA Selection show on Monday May 13 to find out where they will play in the NCAA Regionals.

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