BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

Reading, Pa. (April 21, 2012) - Freshman Felicia McKenna (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) stroked a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh to plate the game-winner in game two as Alvernia (26-8, 8-4 Comm.) swept the visiting Blue Jays from Elizabethtown (22-14, 7-5 Comm.) by scores of 5-1 and 4-3 in Commonwealth Conference action.  Freshman Brittanie Wolfe (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) threw 12 innings, scattering just nine hits and allowing no earned runs to earn both wins and improve to 15-4.

The Crusaders come out swinging in the first game, with four runs in the bottom of the first inning.  After a fly out, Samantha Penk (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) earned a walk, and a double from Shannon Grim (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) scored Penk.  A fielder's choice from Danielle Kitchen (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) erased Grim, but Diane Lightner (Gaithersburg, Md./Acad. of the Holy Cross) hit a single through the left side to put runners on first and second.  A two-out RBI single from McKenna plated Kitchen, and an RBI-single from Amanda Galanti (Red Bank, NJ/Marine Acad. of Sci./Tech.) plated two more for the 4-0 lead.  

The Blue jays got back a run, unearned, in the top of the sixth off of two singles and a Crusader error, but Alvernia answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth to regain the four-run cushion.  Galanti reached with a walk and scored on a double plus an E-town error off the bat of Jacklyn Torres (Colonia, NJ/Colonia).  Wolfe went seven full, surrendering just three hits and one unearned run for her 14th win of the season.

In game two it was the Blue Jays who struck first with two runs in the top of the fifth off of reliever Deanna Dungee (North Wales, Pa./North Penn).  A walk and hit batter both came around to score on a blooper to right field.  E-town added another for the 3-0 lead in the top of the sixth after a reach-on-error and two singles.

The Crusader went to work in their half of the sixth, plating three runs to tie the game.  After a ground out, Grim singled and Kitchen doubled off the wall in center to score Grim.  A botched fielder's choice by the Blue Jays put runners on the corners, and a sacrifice fly from McKenna plated Kitchen to bring Alvernia within one, 2-3.  A bloop-single from Galanti tied the game but Elizabethtown escaped further damage with a bases-loaded strike out.

Wolfe returned to the game in the seventh and after two singles and a successful sacrifice bunt, induced two pop-outs to shut down the Blue Jays.

Penk earned a walk to lead-off the bottom of the seventh and a single from Grim put runners on first and second.  After a fielder's choice from Kitchen the Blue Jays elected to walk Lightner to load the bases with McKenna due up next.  On the second pitch of her at bat, McKenna roped a single up the middle to easily plate Penk for the 4-3 win.

Alvernia will turn right around and travel to DeSales for a non-conference match-up beginning at noon tomorrow.

Alvernia 5, Elizabethtown 1
Alvernia 4, Elizabethtown 3