CLERMONT, Fla. ­­– Megan Heard reached base twice and scored a run for the Lebanon Valley College softball team on the second day of the program's spring break trip to Florida. LVC battled tough while dropping a 5-1 contest to Eastern University and an 8-0 game to Illinois College in five innings on Monday, March 2, at Legends Way Ballfields Field 3. 

Game One vs. Eastern
The Eagles (2-0) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI single. The Dutchmen (1-2) answered back in the bottom half of the first, tying the game at 1-1. Heard led off the frame with a hit-by-pitch, and Holly Grube reached base on a fielder's choice before the runners advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Bella Mackison. Nicole Kratz then registered an RBI groundout to shortstop, plating Heard. 

Eastern responded with an RBI single and an RBI triple in the top of the second inning, taking a 3-1 advantage. LVC later got a runner on base in the bottom of the second, as Avery Eaton hit a two-out single to second base. The Eagles added a tally in the top of the third inning with an RBI single, going up 4-1. 

Lebanon Valley also kept working to create scoring chances as the contest progressed, as Grube hit a one-out single up the middle and stole second base in the bottom of the third. Abby Reed then pitched a scoreless top of the fourth for the Flying Dutchmen, retiring the side in order with a strikeout swinging, an unassisted groundout to first baseman Nikki Sellers, and a groundout to Heard at shortstop. Reed posted a 1-2-3 inning for LVC in the top of the fifth as well, and the first and third outs were tallied when the sophomore fielded groundouts hit back to the pitching circle. 

Reed also blanked the opposition in the top of the sixth inning, notching the third out with a groundout to Grube at second base. Lebanon Valley then generated some traffic on the basepaths with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, as Kratz drew a walk and Miley Beachel hit a single up the middle. Eastern followed this with an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning, making it a 5-1 game. This would stand as the final score. 

Inside the Box Score

• Kratz recorded a walk and an RBI. 
• Heard was hit by a pitch and scored a run. 
• Grube logged a base hit and a stolen base. 
• Eaton tallied her first career hit. 
• Beachel registered a strikeout during her start in the pitching circle. At the plate, the first-year had a hit. 
• Reed struck out two batters in four innings of relief.
• Chrissy Ivers-Schultz pitched a scoreless frame.
• Mackison threw out a career-high three runners attempting to steal a base. 

Game Two vs. Illinois 
Grube was the starting pitcher for Lebanon Valley (1-3), and she began the game by blanking Illinois (3-5) in the bottom of the first inning. The sophomore notched the final two outs of the frame with a strikeout looking and a groundout to Heard at shortstop, stranding runners on first and second base. Grube also tossed a scoreless bottom of the second for the Dutchmen, in which she struck out the leadoff batter and got out of the inning with a flyout to right fielder Katie Muller to leave a runner at second base.

The Flying Dutchmen continued to compete in the batter's box as the game went on, as Heard hit a two-out single to right field in the top of the third inning. The Lady Blues then got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the third, taking a 4-0 lead on a pair of two-run singles. Lebanon Valley's lineup also kept battling in the top of the fourth, as Beachel hit a one-out double to left-center field before advancing to third base on a wild pitch.

Illinois added a tally in the bottom of the fourth inning, going up 5-0 on an error. The Lady Blues also tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fifth, securing the 8-0 run-rule win. The team scored its final three runs on a two-run triple and an RBI single. 

Inside the Box Score

• Heard recorded a base hit.
• Beachel hit her first career double. 
• In the pitching circle, Grube struck out a season-high four batters. 
• First baseman Madison Shiffer and catcher Maddy Gronback both tallied five putouts. 
• Grube and second baseman Abby McElroy tied a game-high two assists in the field. Grube registered both of these assists while pitching.

Up Next 
Lebanon Valley will be back in action tomorrow, Tuesday, March 3, at 12:15 p.m., against St. John Fisher University at Legends Way Ballfields Field 4 in Clermont, Fla. The Dutchmen will also take on Adrian College on the same field at 2:30 p.m.

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