BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (May 12, 2011) – Senior pitcher Michelle Jensen (Holland, Pa./Delaware Valley) gave up just three hits over six innings and struck out seven to lead #2 Alvernia University (22-11) to a 5-0 win over #7 Marywood University (22-17) Wednesday afternoon in quarterfinal action of the ECAC South Region Softball Championships at Angelica Park.

The Crusaders opened the scoring in the home half of the first aided by a pair of blunders from the Pacers. Samantha Penk (Lincroft, N.J./Middletown South) reached on a two-base error by the shortstop and came around to score when Rhiannon Sorrentino (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) singled to right. The throw to the plate sailed out of play giving Sorrentino third and she came home when Danielle Kitchen (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) singled through the left side.

Jensen struck out five through the first four innings to keep the Pacers off the board, and Alvernia doubled its lead with two in the bottom of the fourth. Diane Lightner (Gaithersburg, Md./The Academy of the Holy Cross) doubled to the fence in left and scored on a Katie Manowski (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) single. Manowski took second on the throw to the plate, moved up on a sacrifice bunt, and scored when Penk smashed a double to center.

Jensen set down nine straight Pacers from the third to the sixth until second baseman Chelsea Zimmerman hit a soft comebacker off her glove for an infield single. Jensen then retired the next batter on a foul pop to Lightner to end the sixth and turned the ball over to Deanna Dungee (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) who threw a 1-2-3 seventh to close the game.

The Crusaders will host the four remaining teams Saturday and Sunday for a double elimination tournament to decide the championship. The three other teams will be eighth seeded Misericordia University which eliminated top-seeded Neumann 4-2, #5 Wilson a 2-1 winner over #4 Stevenson, and #3 DeSales University a 2-1 winner of #6 Penn State-Altoona in eight innings.

#2 Alvernia 5, #7 Marywood 0