ALLIANCE, Ohio – Bella Mackison had two hits, and a seventh-inning rally fell short as the Lebanon Valley softball team saw its season end with a 4-0 defeat to Penn College on Friday afternoon in the Alliance Regional at Rafeld-Rogers Field on the campus of the University of Mount Union.
The fourth-seeded Dutchmen (26-17) battled tough all game against the third-seeded Wildcats (34-8) in the first elimination game of the regional.
Holly Grube started the game off by drawing a walk. She stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout by
Megan Heard. Two batters later, Mackison drew a two-out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. The Wildcats got out of the inning with no runs on a ground ball to shortstop. Penn led off the bottom of the inning with a single through the right side and then a sacrifice bunt to move the runner up. The Wildcats scored the first run of the game on a double to center and then added another run two batters later with a single to left center. A double put runners on second and third with two outs as LVC made a pitching change. Grube got the final out of the inning on a ground ball to Heard at short.
Miley Beachel got on base thanks to a fielding error to start the second inning. She stole second before
Katie Muller reached on a dropped third strike, where the catcher held the ball to stop Beachel from advancing to third. Muller and Beachel moved up to second and third on a wild pitch before
Nikki Sellers drew a walk to load the bases. Penn was able to get out of the inning on a strikeout, ground ball to first, where the first baseman got the out at home, and then a fly out to center. Grube got the first two batters in the bottom of the inning to ground out to Heard. The Wildcats had a two-out single before a groundout to
Abby McElroy at second to end the inning.
LVC's only base runner of the third inning came when
Nicole Kratz was hit by a pitch with two outs. Penn manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning on a one-out walk, a wild pitch, a passed ball, and back-to-back singles to take a 3-0 lead. Grube struck out a batter looking to end the inning with no more damage. Sellers drew a one-out walk in the top of the fourth, but the Dutchmen were unable to get her past second base. The Wildcats threatened to score in the bottom of the inning after a one-out single and a walk. Mackison threw out the lead runner trying to steal third, and then Grube forced a groundout to Heard at short to end the inning.
The Dutchmen put together a two-out rally in the fifth as Mackison had the team's first hit of the game with a single to shallow left. Kratz then singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. The Wildcats got out of the jam with a foul pop-up to third base. They led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to left field to go up 4-0. LVC made another pitching change after a double to right center as Chrissy Ivers-Shultz replaced Grube in the circle. She worked her way out of the inning with no more damage on a pop-up to Heard and two balls to Kratz at third.
LVC went down in order in the top of the sixth. Penn started off the bottom of the inning with a double to right. Ivers got a fly out to Beachel in left for the first out. Sellers made a great grab on a foul pop-up along the right side, catching the ball right along the fence for the second out. Kratz then grabbed a pop-up for the third out. The Wildcats got the first two outs of the seventh before LVC put together a pair of hits to put pressure on the Wildcats.
Maddy Gronback singled up the middle, and then Mackison singled through the left side to put runners on first and second. Penn was able to get the next batter out to end the game.
Inside the Box
- Mackison had two hits for her sixth multi-hit game of the year. The sophomore also drew a walk and threw a runner out trying to steal.
- Gronback recorded a hit in her final collegiate game. She finishes her career with 122 hits.
- Kratz also recorded a hit in her last game. The senior made two putouts and two assists at third base and finished her career with 125 hits.
- Heard had a great game at shortstop in her final game as the senior made three putouts and four assists. She finishes her career with 171 hits.
- Sellers drew two walks and made eight putouts at first base in her final game. The senior finishes her career with 65 hits.
- Ivers pitched the final two innings and allowed just one run and one hit.
- Grube and Beachel stole a base each.
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