WINCHESTER, Va. – The Gettysburg College softball team dropped a pair of close decisions to Shenandoah University in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday.
Gettysburg (0-2) scored in its first at bat, but Shenandoah (4-4) scored twice in the bottom of the frame and added an insurance run in the fourth for a 3-1 decision in the opening game. The Hornets held off a rally by the visitors to win the nightcap 4-3.
The Bullets scored the first run of the day as sophomore
Sarahrose Jonik (Glenmoore, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) led off the first inning with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and came around to score on a single to left by junior
Meredith Taylor (Hamilton, N.J./Northern Burlington).
Shenandoah came back in the home half to load the bases with no outs. Two runs came home with the help of a pair of Gettysburg errors.
The Bullets managed just two hits over the next five innings while the Hornets tacked on a run in the fourth. A pair of hits by senior
Stephanie Leonardo (East Haddam, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall) and sophomore
Rachel Julie (Elmsford, N.Y./Briarcliff) brought the potential winning run to the plate with one out, but Katherine Seidl worked out of the jam with a pop up to third and a grounder to first.
Jonik went 2-for-3 for the Bullets. Senior
Aileen Reilly (Huntington Station, N.Y./St. Anthony's) took the loss after allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits and striking out seven.
Shenandoah struck for three runs in the first two innings and added another tally in the fourth inning of game two. The Bullets cut the lead to three in the fifth when Julie doubled to left to lead off the frame and came around to score on a single by freshman
Shelby Baker (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North).
Gettysburg loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning. Sophomore
Liz Cowell (Verona, N.J./Mount Saint Dominic) brought home the first run with a single to center field. Following a strikeout, sophomore
Taylor Doi (Foster City, Calif./San Mateo) drew a bases-loaded walk to slice the deficit to one. Bad luck spelled the end for the Bullets as Taylor smacked a liner that was caught by the third baseman, who then doubled up the lead runner.
Julie, Baker, and senior
Wendy Folfas (Westminster, Md./McDonogh School) each went 2-for-3. Junior
Morgan Clauser (Columbus, N.J./Northern Burlington) was hit with the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on five hits over four innings. Sophomore
McKenzie Somers (Littlestown, Pa./Littlestown) pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
Gettysburg resumes action at the Virginia Wesleyan College Beach Blast on March 10. The Bullets play Roanoke College at noon and Manhattanville College at 2 p.m.