BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

Kissimmee, Fl. (March 4, 2013) - The Crusader softball team opened their season with two wins on Monday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida. Alvernia (2-0) defeated Franklin College (0-6) by a score of 10-7 and beat Presentation College (0-4) 19-2 in a mercy-ruled five-inning game.

In the opener, Alvernia was down 4-0 after 4.5 innings but rallied for three runs in the fifth and seven more in the sixth inning to secure the win. In the bottom of the fifth, after a pop-out, junior shortstop Katie Manowski (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) started the rally with a single, and Miranda Peto (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) followed with a single of her own. Samantha Penk (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) welcomed a new pitcher to the game with a single up the middle to score two. Penk later scored on a fielder's choice and error to bring Alvernia within one at 4-3. In the bottom of the sixth, Alvernia managed seven runs on five hits, two walks and two reach-on errors. Peto knocked in the tying and go-ahead run with a single to left field, and Penk followed with an RBI-triple. A double from Danielle Kitchen (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) scored another, and two came in on a single from Amanda Galanti (Red Bank, NJ/Marine Acad. Sci./Tech). Felicia McKenna (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) had a single and a double in the sixth inning.

Sophomore pitcher Brittanie Wolfe (PIne Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) earned the game-one complete game win.

Game two saw Alvernia put up three runs in the top of the first thanks to a three-run home run from freshman Briana Coan (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore). The Crusaders added five more in the second, highlighted by an RBI-double from Coan and one more in the third thanks to an RBI-single from freshman Aly Shilling (Blue Bell, Pa./Christopher Dock). The Crusaders blew things open with a seven-run fourth inning, highlighted by two homeruns. Freshman Breanna Worrell (Wenonah, NJ/Deptford) connected for a three-run homer, while Coan added a grand slam later in the inning. Three more runs in the fifth after RBIs from Penk and Peto wrapped up the scoring for Alvernia.

Deanna Dungee (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) earned the win in game two throwing three complete innings, giving up just two hits and no runs.

Peto was 5-for-8 on the day with five runs scored and five RBIs. Kitchen had two hits in each game with three doubles, and Coan led the team with eight RBIs through the two games.

Alvernia is back in action tomorrow at 9am against Bluffton University and 11am against Westminster College.

Alvernia 10, Franklin 7
Alvernia 19, Presentation 2