GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Wilkes Barre, Pa. (March 28, 2009) – The Crusader softball team dropped two close Freedom Conference games this afternoon at Misericordia University. Michelle Jensen (Holland, NJ/Delaware Valley) allowed just two hits in the first game, but took the loss as Alvernia fell 3-0. Misericordia needed eight innings to secure the 3-2 win in the second game.

In the first game of the doubleheader Alvernia loaded the bases with none out in the top of the first inning after Janelle Lynch (Macungie, Pa./Brandywine) was hit with the first pitch of the game, Dina Chiapelli (Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg) followed with a single and Rhiannon Sorrentino (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) was safe on an obstruction call. The Cougars managed to escape the inning unscathed as the next three Crusader batters all struck out looking at low strikes.

Misericordia struck for their two runs of the game in the second inning after a single and an error put runners on first and second. A successful sacrifice bunt would advance them to second and third. Courtney Novajosky knocked in the first run of the game with a deep sacrifice fly to center field. The Cougars managed another run after Lindsay Miller drew a walk and made the turn for second base, after a failed attempt to throw her out on her way back to first base the second Cougar run snuck across the plate from third base.

Cougar starting pitcher Katherine Lucenti would shut down the Crusader offense through the next four innings and Misericordia would add a sixth inning insurnace run for the 3-0 victory.

Jensen got the ball again and game two and shut down Misericordia until the fifth inning when Gina Urbon went deep on the first pitch of the inning to give the Cougars the 1-0 lead. They would add another run that inning after two doubles, and reliever Lauren Crimi (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame) would come in to escape the bases loaded jam that followed.

Alvernia battled back in their half of the sixth inning with a run of their own. After a fly-out, Sorrentino and Crimi belted back to back doubles to cut the lead to 2-1. Crimi would shut down the Misery offense in the bottom of the sixth inning and Alvernia would rally once again in the seventh to tie the game. Jocelyn Blum (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) led off the inning with a single up the middle and Brooke Hess (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) followed with a double to the fence to advance re-entered Rachel Evans (Tower City, Pa./Williams Valley) to third base. With runners on second and third Jacklyn Torres (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) grounded out to first base, but an over eager Hess nearly ran past Evans who was holding at third. The Cougar offense attempted to throw Hess out on her way back to second and Evans tip-toed home to tie the game at two, while Hess eventually made her way back to third. Lynch followed with a fielder's choice that saw Hess get thrown out at the plate. The inning quickly ended as Lynch was rung up for stealing second base.

The Crusaders were unable to muster a run in the eighth inning and Crimi hit two Cougar batters to start the bottom of the eighth. After a fly-out and an error the bases were loaded and starter Jensen returned to the mound. A barely fair, if at all, line-drive down the third base line would win the game for the Cougars.

Chiappelli was 5-for-7 on the day and Sorrentino was 2-for-6 with a double and a triple.

Alvernia will return to action Monday March 30th at 3:00 pm when they travel to Elizabethtown College for a non-conference match-up.

Misericordia 2, Alvernia 0
Misericordia 3, Alvernia 2