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Alvernia University Athletics

250307_SB_Lexi
Marisa Lombardo
3
Winner Illinois Col. ILLINOIS 5-5
2
Alvernia ALVERNIA 4-5
Winner
Illinois Col. ILLINOIS
5-5
3
Final
2
Alvernia ALVERNIA
4-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Illinois Col. ILLINOIS 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 8 1
Alvernia ALVERNIA 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 0

W: J. Closs (1-0) L: Hillanbrand, Ashlyn (1-2)

6
Winner Alvernia ALVERNIA 5-5
3
Suffolk SUFFOLK 0-1
Winner
Alvernia ALVERNIA
5-5
6
Final
3
Suffolk SUFFOLK
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Alvernia ALVERNIA 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 6 9 2
Suffolk SUFFOLK 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 1

W: Racine, Kelsey (2-1) L: L. Newhall (0-1)

Game Recap: Softball | | By Marisa Lombardo (Director of Sports Information)

Golden Wolves Split on Final Day in Florida

Winter Haven, Pa. (March 7, 2025) - Alvernia University (5-5) split its final set of games on Friday to close its spring break trip at The Spring Games in Florida.

Alvernia opened the day with a 3-2 loss to Illinois College. The Golden Wolves then rebounded with a 6-3 win over Suffolk College to close out the trip with a win and move to .500 on the week. 

Game One: Illinois College
Score: Illinois 3, Alvernia 2
Records: Illinois (5-5), Alvernia (4-5)
Hits: Illinois 8, Alvernia 5
Errors: Illinois 1, Alvernia 0
WP: Jordan Closs (1-0)     LP: Ashlyn Hillanbrand (1-2)

How it Happened
  • Illinois threatened in the top of the first with two runners on and one out, but Alexia Fitzgerald and Brooke Hauck made two good catches in the outfield to keep Illinois off the board. Alvernia threatened with a bases loaded opportunity in its half of the first, but was also unable to convert.
  • After neither team was able to string anything together in the 2nd and 3rd innings, Illinois put its first two batters of the top of the fourth on base. But, Alvernia got out of the jam on a lineout double play back to Ashlyn Hillanbrand in the circle, and a foul out for the third out of the inning. 
  • Alvernia put its first runner in scoring position since the first inning in the bottom of the fourth. Taylor McClain reached third on a one-out triple to right field, but McClain was stranded on third as the game moved into the fifth tied at 0-0.
  • Illinois struck first in the top of the fifth, getting its first batter on base a bunt for a base hit. Illinois then bunted again, and the runner on first kept running after the batter was called safe. She came all around to score to give Illinois the 1-0 lead. Illinois stranded two batters later in the inning as Alvernia got out of the jam to limit the damage to one run.
  • Alvernia tied up the game in the bottom of the sixth. Brooke Hauck led off the inning with a double to the left gap and she advanced to third off the bat of Meryn Bellacima. Hauck then scored on a head's up play, tagging and scoring on a fly out off the bat of Angelina Sponheimer to even the game at 1-1 going into the seventh.
  • Illinois retook the lead on both the short and long game in the top of the seventh. After a leadoff walk, Illinois advanced its runner to third on a bunt where the runner again kept running. That runner then came home to score on another bunt. Illinois then took a 3-1 lead on a deep double to left center.
  • Alvernia threatened the lead in the bottom of the seventh on a solo homer by Jaclyn Barbera, but that was all Alvernia was able to get going in the bottom of the seventh as Illinois College pulled out the 3-2 win. 
Alvernia Offensive Leaders
Jaclyn Barbera: 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 HR
Brooke Hauck: 1-for-2, 1 BB, 1 Run

Alvernia Pitching
Ashlyn Hillanbrand: 6.2 IP, 8 Hits, 3 Runs, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 SO
Kelsey Racine: 0.1 IP, 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 Earned Runs

Game Two: Suffolk College
Score: Alvernia 6, Suffolk 3
Records: Alvernia (5-5), Suffolk (0-1)
Hits: Alvernia 9, Suffolk 8
Errors: Alvernia 2, Suffolk 1
WP: Kelsey Racine (2-1)     LP: Lily Newhall (0-1)

How it Happened
  • Alvernia had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the first after Alexia Fitzgerald and Summer Montgomery reached on singles and Brooke Hauck reached on a walk. Meryn Bellacima then cleared the bases on a double to left center. Taylor McClain then traded places with Bellacima on a double of her own to make it a 4-0 game. The Rams allowed one more runner in Jaclyn Barbera before getting out of the inning.
  • The Rams answered in their half off the first, scoring on a single up the middle to make it a 4-1 game. Suffolk then had runners on second and third with one out, and the Rams scored their second run of the inning on an error at second base. Suffolk kept it going and cut Alvernia's lead down to one, 4-3, on a bases loaded sacrifice fly to right field.
  • The Rams put runners on first and second through the first two pitches of the bottom of the second, and advanced both on a sacrifice bunt. But, Alvernia got out of the inning without allowing a run on great defensive efforts by Payton Splain at third base and Hauck in center field.
  • Alvernia gave itself some breathing room in the top of the fifth. Hauck and Bellacima led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and Hauck came around to score off the bat of Angelina Sponheimer. The Rams then committed an error on what would have been the third out on the at-bat of Payton Splain, allowing Bellacima to come home and score to give Alvernia the 6-3 lead.
  • The Rams had the game-tying run at the plate with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Alvernia forced a groundout to first base for the second out, but the runners advanced to second and third base for Suffolk. The Golden Wolves then got the final out of the game on a groundout to short - added by a good reach at first base by Sponheimer - to secure the 6-3 win.
Alvernia Offensive Leaders
Alexia Fitzgerald: 3-for-4, 1 Run, 3 Stolen Bases
Meryn Bellacima: 2-for-4, 2 Runs, 3 RBIs, 1 Double
Brooke Huack: 1-for-3, 2 Runs, 1 BB

Up Next
Alvernia returns to Reading and will have their home-opener on Tuesday against Rutgers-Camden.
 
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