By Dylan Smith, Staff writer
After splitting a Landmark Conference doubleheader against Scranton the day before, Susquehanna Softball swept Penn College 8-0 and 6-1 Wednesday afternoon at Sassafras Field.
In game one, Susquehanna (14-9) had their first six batters reach base to start the game. Senior Heather Pearson reached first on a throwing error by Penn’s third baseman Chelsea Grey.
After shortstop Brooke Kohler got hit by a pitch, fellow senior, third baseman Emilie Boman, drilled a single to left bringing Pearson around to score to put Susquehanna up 1-0.
Designated player McKayla Brady repeated Boman’s at-bat and sent a single to left scoring Kohler. Freshman Brittany Hebda got in on the action by drawing a walk with the bases loaded, pushing Susquehanna’s lead to 3-0.
Pearson led off the bottom of the second with a triple to center field. Kohler and Boman would reach base on a fielder’s choice, where pinch runner Morgan Derrick would be thrown out at the plate.
Senior left fielder Leigh Ann Greenwald drove a single up the middle to give Susquehanna a 4-0 lead.
Junior pitcher Alexa Gonzalez was perfect through 2 1/3 innings before Penn pitcher Morgan Heritage helped her own cause by doubling down the third baseline. After that point, the Wildcats would see only two base runners the rest of the game on walks. Gonzalez completed the five inning game with one hit and two walks on 79 pitches, pushing her to 7-4 on the season.
In the bottom of the fourth, Brady hit a triple to the rightcenter gap. Greenwald then got hit by a pitch and stole a base soon after to reach second. Sophomore center fielder Kasey Bost then extended the River Hawk lead to six on a two-run single to center.
Fellow sophomore Emily Lear would start the bottom of the fifth on third base after a single to short, a stolen base and a pass ball.
Derrick would walk and also steal second putting two runners in scoring position. Lear would score on fielder’s choice only to be followed by a walk-off single by pitch hitter Jill Ahrens.
Game two started the same way as game one. Susquehanna scored three runs in the first inning. After a lead-off double by Brooke Kohler, senior catcher Kelly Miller gained her 100th career hit with a double to right center. Kohler was halted at third due to the uncertainty of the Penn outfield.
Greenwald singled through the right side to give Susquehanna a 2-0 lead. Bost would tack on the third run, scoring Boman on a single to right-center.
Susquehanna would post three more runs in the bottom of the fourth on Kohler getting hit by a pitch and Miller taking a walk, both with the bases loaded. Ahrens would score the sixth run for the River Hawks on a ground out to short by Boman.
Freshman starter Gabby Bubba went seven innings allowing one run on nine hits with one strike out, earning her fifth win of the season.
Susquehanna continues their home stand as they take on the conference-rival Eagles of Juniata College at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Franklin & Marshall at 1 & 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The Diplomats sit at 13-11 on the year while the Eagles are an abysmal 6-17-1.
