Box Score

CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Sophomore Aileen Reilly (Huntington Station, N.Y./St. Anthony's) gave up just two hits and classmate Jessica Casale (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) made an incredible diving catch in the sixth inning to help Gettysburg College knock off defending champion McDaniel college 4-1 in the opening game of the Centennial Conference Softball Championship.
 
Gettysburg (26-11) was slated to play two games on Saturday, but its second outing against host and top seed Washington College (21-18) was suspended after five innings due to darkness. The contest will resume Sunday morning at 10 a.m. with the Shorewomen leading 7-3.
 
The winner between Washington and Gettysburg will advance to the CC title game, while the loser will meet Haverford College (21-19) in an elimination game on Sunday.
 
McDaniel (24-18) struck first in Saturday's first game as Olivia Kipe blasted a solo home run in the top of the first inning. That would be the only base hit against Reilly through the first five innings. She retired the side in the second and fourth innings and picked up a double play to close out the fifth.
 
Gettysburg placed runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings. After coming up empty in its first at bat, the Bullets tied the game on a double by junior Genie Lavanant (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Blair Academy) in the second inning.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Gettysburg turned in three runs. Lavanant and Casale posted back-to-back singles and came around to score on base hits by sophomore Mykaela Twitchell (Cumberland, Maine/Greely) and senior Steph Zengel (High Bridge, N.J./North Hunterdon). Junior Jamie Abell (Glenn Dale, Md./Elizabeth Seton) scored the game's final run on a passed ball.
 
McDaniel threatened to get back into the game in the top of the sixth inning. Payton Lewis singled to right field and Kipe drew a walk with one out. A fly out to right-center allowed both runners to advance into scoring position.
 
Carly Deichman was poised to bring home both runners with a shot to left-center, but Casale came racing in for the diving catch to end the inning. Reilly took care of business in the seventh with a strikeout and two easy groundouts.
 
Reilly improved to 16-6 and struck out five. Zengel went 3-for-3 while Lavanant and senior Meghan Hisgen (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) each went 2-for-3.