St. David's, PA (April 11, 2006) - The Crusaders split at Eastern this afternoon, defeating them in eight innings in the first game 8-5, before falling to them in the second game 2-3 also in eight innings.  Freshman pitcher Emily Williams (Minersville, PA/Nativity BVM) earned the win in the first game, giving up five earned runs, striking out six, and scattering 11 hits over eight innings.  Junior Amanda Daher (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) had a solid effort in the second game, giving up five hits and only one run through 4 1/3 innings.  Sophomore pitcher Beth Jablonowski (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) finished out the fifth inning, before giving way to Williams who took the loss, giving up two runs over 1 1/3 innings.

In the first game, Eastern got on the board first as they led off the top of the first with a single, and capitalized on two Crusader errors to push their first run across.  They added one more in the second on back-to-back hits.  Alvernia got a run back in the top of the third after Allyson McCready (Williamstown, Pa/Williams Valley) reached on a fielder's choice, and scored on a double by Suzanne Fox (Glassboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic).

The Crusaders took the lead in the top of the fifth when Cyndi Maul (Holland, Pa/Archbishop Ryan) led off with a walk, advanced on a fielder's choice, a base hit by McCready, and scored on a passed ball.  Alvernia added two more when Jackie Rhoads (Dilsburg, Pa/Northern York) singled in McCready, and Fox who had reached on a hit by pitch scored on a Eastern error.

After scoring another un in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Colleen Ambrosius (Philadelphia, Pa/St. Basil Academy), the Crusaders gave up two runs in the bottom of the seventh on a blooper to short right field to allow Easter to tie the game. 

Undaunted, Alvernia rallied back in the top of the eight inning with three runs on one hit, two walks and one Eastern error to take the game 8-5.

The second game of the doubleheadersaw Eastern push one across after a double to centerfield, and a pick-off at second allowed the runner from third to advance home.  The score remained 1-0 until the top of the seventh where the Crusaders came through with two runs to take the lead 2-1.  Senior Danielle Machamer (Williamstown, Pa./Williamstown) and Ambrosius had back to back singles, and advanced on a sac bunt from Maul.  Shannon Higgins (Blue Bell Pa./Wissahickan) stepped up and ripped a single to center to score two.  Eastern quickly rallied back to tie the game with two back to back doubles in the bottom of the seventh.

Alvernia squandered their last scoring opportunity in the top of the eigth as with a runner on third and one out, McCready failed to score on a long fly ball by Rhoads.  Eastern took the game after two walks and an infield error in the bottom of the eigth.

Ambrosius was 3-for-seven on the day with a walk, and Maul was 2-for-5 with two walks.

The Crusaders are back in action next Wed. April 19, 2006 at home versus Elizabethtown at 3:00 p.m.