By Alex Kurtz, Sports editor
Senior infielder Heather Pearson’s two RBIs in game one and junior pitcher Alexa Gonzalez‘s complete-game shutout helped lift the Susquehanna softball team to a 4-0 win in game one and 8-0 victory in game two over Dickinson on Thursday, March 29 at Sassafrass Field in Selinsgrove.
Pearson knocked in two RBIs on a double in the bottom of the fifth to stick the perverbial dagger in Dickinson in the first game.
The River Hawks also gave Dickinson pitcher Madison Milaszewski her first loss of the season despite her leading all pitchers in the game with 11 strikeouts.
In game two, Gonzalez pitched a complete-game three-hit gem to shutout the Red Devils and pick up her fourth win of the season.
Senior outfielder Leigh Ann Greenwald also added three RBIs on the game giving Gonzales all the run support she needed on the day.
HERE COMES THE PITCH – Senior catcher Kelly Miller gets ready for an incoming pitch against Dickinson.
In game one, Susquehanna started off scoring early in the bottom of the first after Milaszewski had a wild-pitch that went past catcher Alicia Lane. Senior infielder McKayla Brady came home to score the first run while senior infielder Brooke Kohler advanced to second on the play.
Kohler would later come home on the play on a single to right field by sophomore outfielder Kasey Bost to give the River Hawks an early 2-0 lead.
Scoring would be hard to find for both teams after the first inning and the game would remain 2-0 until the fifth inning where Susquehanna opened the flood gates.
Pearson would smack an RBI-double down the rightfield line to score sophomore outfielder Emily Lear and freshman infielder Kody Streeter to push the lead to 4-0, which would be the final score of the game.
Freshman pitcher Gabby Bubba picked up her third win of the season after pitching three-scoreless innings.
In game two, the River Hawks carried their momentum over from game one and smashed the Red Devils 8-0.
By the end of the third inning, Susquehanna were already well in control after jumping out to a commanding 6-0 lead. Greenwald, Brady and Junior outfielder Jackie Gore all had RBIs in the inning for the River Hawks.
Sophomore catcher Amanda Robinson and freshman outfielder Kat Fahsbender both added an RBI of their own in the bottom of the fifth to bring the score to the eventual 8-0 final.
Robinson brought in Streeter on a double to right field and Fahsbender then drove Robinson home on her own double to right field.
With the win, Susquehanna improved to 8-6 on the season while Dickinson dropped to 9-7. The River Hawks will return to action on Saturday, March 31 against conferencefoe Catholic at 1 p.m.