EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. ­­– Mackenzie Willey hit a go-ahead two-run home run and made multiple key plays in right field for the Lebanon Valley College Softball team, leading the club to a 2-0 victory over Wilkes University on Tuesday, April 15, at the Ralston Athletic Complex. Holly Grube also pitched a complete-game shutout for the Flying Dutchmen during the win. 

Lebanon Valley and Wilkes competed through multiple weather delays on Tuesday. The programs were originally scheduled to play a doubleheader, but the second matchup was canceled due to weather. 

Grube began the game with a scoreless bottom of the first inning for the Dutchmen (18-10, 9-1 MAC Freedom), retiring the Colonels (11-11, 6-4 Landmark) with a flyout to Willey in right field, an unassisted groundout to first baseman Nikki Sellers, and a groundout to shortstop Abby McElroy. Grube also blanked the opposition in the bottom of the second, notching the final two outs with a groundout to third baseman Nicole Kratz and a groundout to McElroy at shortstop to leave a runner at third base. 

Lebanon Valley got on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning, taking a 2-0 lead over Wilkes. Sellers led off the frame with a single to right-center field and crossed the plate when Willey launched a two-run home run over the left-field foul pole. Grube followed this by posting a zero for LVC in the bottom half of the third, registering a groundout to McElroy at shortstop, a strikeout swinging, and a popout that the pitcher caught. 

The Dutchmen continued to battle at the plate as the game progressed, as Bella Mackison hit a two-out double to left field in the top of the fourth. The Colonels then had runners on first and second base with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but Lebanon Valley got out of the frame with a popout to center fielder Lexi Smith. Grube also limited the opposition in the bottom of the fifth inning, stranding a runner at second base by recording two straight groundouts to Kratz at third base. 

Lebanon Valley kept generating traffic on the basepaths in the top of the sixth inning, as Grube hit a single to center field while Maddy Gronback walked and stole second base. Wilkes then had runners on second and third base in the bottom of the sixth, and Grube got the Flying Dutchmen out of the frame with a groundout to McElroy at shortstop. The Dutchmen then secured the 2-0 victory in the bottom of the seventh inning, notching the third out on an impressive defensive play. The Colonels had runners on first and second base with two outs and hit a ball to Willey in right field, who made an excellent throw to Mackison at the plate for the out, ending the ballgame. 

Inside the Box Score

• Lebanon Valley extended its winning streak to eight games. 
• Willey hit her first home run as a member of the Dutchmen and recorded two RBIs, marking her most with LVC. In right field, Willey threw out a runner at the plate to end the game, which marks her first assist with Lebanon Valley. 
• Grube earned her ninth victory of the season, pitching her third complete-game shutout in a performance that included a strikeout. At the plate, the first-year picked up a base hit to extend her hitting streak to 13 games. 
• Sellers tallied a base hit to extend her hitting streak to three while drawing a walk and scoring a run. 
• Mackison hit a double to extend her hitting streak to six games. 
• Gronback drew a walk and stole a base. 

Up Next
Lebanon Valley will return to the diamond on Thursday, April 17, when the program will host FDU-Florham in a doubleheader at the LVC Softball Park. The first game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

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