By Andrew Snyder, Staff writer
Over spring break, the softball team ventured down to Florida, playing eight regular season games in the process. The River Hawks (6-6) compiled a 5-3 record throughout the trip, highlighted by wins over Cortland (4-4) and Skidmore (4-6).
The first matchup for the squad was against the Green Knights of St. Norbert (2-8). The River Hawks won 5-0, with a dominating performance on the mound by sophomore pitcher Amanda Seckinger.
Seckinger went five innings, allowing only four hits on the day. The game was closed out by freshman pitcher Gabby Bubba, who pitched the final two innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. The offense was led by Senior infielder Emilie Boman, who went 2-3 while knocking in three of the Hawks five runs.
After suffering a tough 8-2 loss to Ithaca, Susquehanna rebounded with a nail biting victory over Skidmore. The River Hawks were down 4-2 heading into the fifth inning.
The offense surged in the late innings, highlighted by the clutch double from senior infielder Mckayla Brady, who knocked in all three runners while bases were loaded in the sixth inning to make the score 8-4. Skidmore responded in the late innings to tie the game 8-8.
The game went into extras, lasting until the ninth inning when the River Hawks offense drove in seven runs in the top of the ninth. The outburst was led by RBI singles from Boman and Sophomore outfielder Kasey Bost. Susquehanna shut down Skidmore in the bottom of the inning, winning 16-10.
After securing a 9-4 victory over Washington University (Mo.) (5-5), The River Hawks followed up with another victory over Millsaps College (12-8).
Susquehanna was down 1-0 early, but after tacking on a run in the fourth the offense really got going in the fifth inning off the bat of Senior infielder Brooke Kohler, who drove in two runs with a clutch single.
The River Hawks eventually pulled away to a 4-1 victory, led on the mound by Junior pitcher Alexa Gonzalez, who tossed a complete game allowing only one-run during the game.
Following two tough losses against Wisconsin-Lutheran (5-5) and Haverford (8-2), Susquehanna responded with an impressive 9-1 victory over the Red Dragons of Cortland.
Susquehanna jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, continuing to tack on runs and building an insurmountable lead. The offense was led early by a blast into the right center gap from Senior outfielder Leigh-Ann Greenwald, which knocked in two runs.
The scoring outbursts continued in the later innings of the game, with RBI singles from Junior outfielder Jill Ahrens and Bost, along with another two RBI double from Greenwald. Another exceptional outing came from Gonzalez, who tossed another complete game one-run performance.
“I got off to a start this season that was less than desired, but I just kept to spinning the ball and throwing them off,” Gonzalez said. “I reminded myself to keep walks minimal and control things you can control on the field.”
Susquehanna looks to break the .500 barrier in their home opener with a matchup against Penn College, who currently sit at 5-7 on the year. The team has a big homestand to look forward to, as their next eight games are all here in the friendly confines of Selinsgrove.
