BOX SCORE
May 3, 2006 (Radnor, PA) – The Crusader softball team defeated Cabrini College this afternoon at Cabrini by a score of 5-4. With the win, Alvernia advances into the double-elimination PAC Championships to be held at College Misericordia May 5th and 6th. Freshman pitcher Emily Williams (Minersville, PA/Nativity BVM) pitched the complete game victory for Alvernia, holding Cabrini to seven hits and giving up only one walk.
Alvernia got on the board first in the top of the third inning when sophomore Hollie Dobson (Tallytown, PA/Pennsbury) led off the inning with a double down the third base line. After a fly out, junior Suzanne Fox (Glassboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) reached on an error by the pitcher, and sophomore Jackie Rhoads (Dillsburg,PA/Northern York) followed with a fielder’s choice to the shortstop that scored Dobson. With Fox now on third, and two-outs, catcher Colleen Ambrosius (Philadelphia, PA/St. Basil Academy) came up big, with a line shot to right center to plate Fox and put Alvernia up 2-0.
The Crusaders continued their attack in the fourth inning when they added another three runs. Beth Jablonowski (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) got the rally going when she connected for a one out single, and Lauren Crimi (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame) continued her hot hitting streak with a double to deep right field. With runners on second and third, Alyson McCready (Williamstown, PA/Williams Valley) connected for the big hit of the inning, with a double to left center to score Jablonowski and Crimi. Fox continued the rally with a double that scored McCready to put Alvernia up 5-0.
With their lead still standing heading into the fifth inning, Cabrini began to battle back. The fifth inning saw Cabrini get one run back on a hit, fielder’s choice and a throwing error by Williams. They then added two more in the sixth inning on four Crusader errors to tighten the game at 5-3. The seventh inning saw them battle back for one more run, and advance the tying run to third base. Alvernia managed to get out of the inning, and survive with the victory after Williams retired the final batter on a deep fly ball to left field.
The Crusaders, along with Neumann, Arcadia, and Misericordia advance into the PAC Championships to be held this weekend at #1 seed College Misericordia. Alvernia will face Misericordia in the opening round Saturday May 5, 2006 at noon.
