Tuesday, April 10, 2007 (Reading, Pa) – After defeating Albright 10-9 in the first game of the doubleheader, the Crusaders had to settle for the split after they dropped the second game 6-8. Sophomore pitcher Emily Williams (Minersville, PA/Nativity BVM) earned the win in game one, and went 5-for-8 on the day with five RBIs and five runs scored. Beth Jablonowski (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) was tagged with the loss in game two, after Albright rallied back and scored eight runs in the final three innings.
Game one saw Alvernia jump out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Suzanne Fox (Glassboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) started the rally with a single to lead off the inning. After freshman Janelle Lynch (Macungie, PA/Brandywine Heights) reached on a bunt single, and Jackie Rhoads (Dillsburg, PA/Northern York) walked, Williams connected for a clutch double to score two runs. Two Albright errors allowed Rhoads and Williams to score and add to the Crusader rally. Alvernia added two more runs in the second inning off of four straight hits, and another Albright error. Rhoads doubled to ignite the second inning rally, and Williams, Jablonowski and Hollie Dobson (Tallytown, PA/Pennsbury) quickly followed with singles. Dobson connected again in the third inning to complete the three-run rally with a double to the left-center gap that scored two runs.
Although the score was now 9-1 in Alvernia’s favor, the game was all but over. Albright battled back with two runs in the fourth, and a three-run homerun in the fifth to tighten the game at 9-6. The Crusaders were able to tag on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, when Lynch who reached on a walk came around to score on an error by the right fielder. This proved to be the winning run, as Albright put up three more runs in the top of the seventh.
The second game saw the Crusaders jump out yet again to an early lead that would be threatened as the game carried on. Alvernia struck for three runs in the bottom of the first inning, off a three-run homerun by Williams. This is all they would manage before Jablonowski went deep for her first collegiate homerun in the fifth inning. Albright batted through their order and put up a six spot in the fifth inning. They were aided by three passed balls that scored three runs, and tagged on another run in the sixth and seventh innings which proved to be enough for the victory.
The Crusaders are next in action this Friday at home against PAC rival Eastern University at 3:00 pm.
