Reading, Pa. (Apr. 11, 2015) - Alvernia University (11-9, 5-5) took two one-run games over Lebanon Valley College (6-18, 3-7), capturing the first game 3-2 before picking up a 6-5 seventh inning victory in the second.
In game one, the Crusaders took to the board in the bottom of the first.
Brianna DePriest led off the inning with a walk, and advanced to second on the sacrifice by
Taylor Fouracre. Grim wasted no time getting Alvernia its first run, ripping a double to plate DePriest for the 1-0 lead.
Alvernia pushed across its second run the next inning, this time with Mancuso starting the offense with a single to left. After moving up a base on a
Brianna Kuhn bunt,
Felicia McKenna drove a ball up the middle to cross Mancuso for the 2-0 advantage.
The Crusaders would go ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth as
Aly Shilling collected the game winning run on a lead-off solo shot to left.
Lebanon Valley attempted a comeback in the seventh, posted two runs with no outs on a homerun to left. The Dutchmen put another runner on board, but
Amanda Turner took her off the bases, throwing her out at second on the steal attempt. Lebanon Valley managed to put two on with two outs, but pitcher Fouracre was able to work the final out to left.
The Crusaders defense proved solid in game one, shutting down Dutchmen runners early in the game. In the first, McKenna threw a rope to home to down a Lebanon Valley runner, and Turner extended the play by getting the batter trying to advance to second for the double play.
Fouracre collected her first win of the day in game one, allowing nine hits in seven innings of work.
Alvernia got ahead early again in game two, taking the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. DePriest led off the inning on a single to left, and advanced to third capitalizing on a Dutchmen error. DePriest kept taking advantage of opportunities, crossing the plate a few pitches later on a wild pitch.
Lebanon Valley generated its first runs of the game in the fourth, plating two runs on back-to-back hits. The Dutchmen would add two more runs in the fifth, pulling ahead 4-1.
The Crusaders found their stride in the stride in the sixth inning, bringing in two runs to chip away at the Dutchmen lead. Grim opened the inning with a double to center, and would come around to score on a single by Shilling. Shilling would move up two bases on an LVC error and a Turner groundout, and would cross the plate on a
Taylor Malinish single up the middle to cut the deficit 4-3.
The Dutchmen would add one more run in the seventh, taking a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the inning.
The Alvernia offense picked up where it left off though, with DePriest getting on board with a single to start the bottom of the inning. Mancuso followed with a walk to put the tying run on the bases. Grim's grounder in the short-third hole tested a long throw for the LVC shortstop, which resulted in an error and DePriest crossing the plate to cut the lead 5-4.
Lebanon Valley would load the bases for the Crusaders, intentionally walking Shilling with no outs. Turner capitalized on the opportunity she was given, collecting the game-tying RBI on a fielder's choice, plating Mancuso and putting the winning run in Grim on third. Tied 5-5, Miessau quickly picked up the game winning RBI, notching a first-pitch single to score Grim and seal the 6-5 victory.
Fouracre, who entered the game in the seventh for relief pitcher Katy Lutz, collected her second win of the day.
Brianna Fisher picked up the start in the circle.
Alvernia returns to action on Tuesday, taking on Penn State-Harrisburg in non-conference play at Angelica Park.
