Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College softball team opened its northern schedule by splitting a non-conference doubleheader with Susquehanna University at Bobby Jones Field on Saturday. The Crusaders won a pitching duel in the opener 2-1 in eight innings, while the Bullet offense came alive in a 15-1 five-inning decision in the nightcap.
There was no offense to be had in the first seven innings of the lead contest as both starting pitchers twirled gems from the mound. Susquehanna (5-5) freshman Cara Swerdlow and Gettysburg (5-3) junior Kristy Rubino (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) combined for only five hits, while striking out 23 batters in the first seven frames. The teams' best opportunities to score before heading to extras came in the sixth inning. The Crusaders put runners on first and third with two outs and Bekah Bennet hit a towering shot to left field, but senior Heather Sagaities (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) tracked down the ball and made an over-the-shoulder grab to close the inning. Sagaities followed her stellar defensive play with a one-out triple to right-center in the bottom half of the frame, but Gettysburg couldn't bring her home.
With the tie-breaker rule in effect in the eighth inning, the Bullets managed to eliminate the runner placed on second with a fielder's choice. Danielle McCann came up with the game-winning hit, however, driving home a pair of runs with a two-out double. Gettysburg closed the gap with a run-scoring ground-out by Sagaities in the bottom half of the inning and had a runner in scoring position with the team's leading run producer coming in, Erin Ober (Lutherville, Md./Dulaney), at the plate. Ober came up with a soft single to short right field, but the ball wasn't deep enough to score the game-tying run as pinch runner Casey Bialek (Glenville, Pa./South Western) was gunned down in a close play at the plate.
Swerdlow picked up the win for Susquehanna, allowing four hits with two walks and a dozen strikeouts. Rubino posted a near-identical state line en route to suffering her first loss of the season (3-1).
Game two was a reverse of the opener as far as Gettysburg's bats were concerned as the hosts plated 15 runs on 18 hits. After picking up the initial run in the first inning, the Bullets tacked on five in the second and nine in the fourth to put the run-rule into effect. Junior Nicole Yannotta (Whippany, N.J./Whippany Park) and freshman Megan MacNabb (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) provided the big hits in the fourth with a two-run double and two-run single, respectively.
Every starter had a hit for Gettysburg and all but one had an RBI. Senior Abbe Miller (Spring City, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) went 4-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and three RBI and Yannotta finished 3-for-4 with a double, one run, and three RBI. Ober and MacNabb each brought in two runs, the former finishing 3-for-4, while Sagaities crossed home plate three times and finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Sophomore Kara Kempski (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
On the mound, sophomore Beth McCullough (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) improved to 2-1 by allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Bennett took the loss for the Crusaders after allowing 12 runs on 12 hits in three innings.
Gettysburg visits Elizabethtown College for non-conference doubleheaders on Wednesday, March 19. Opening pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m.
