GETTYSBURG, Pa. – It took a couple extra innings, but the Gettysburg College softball team rallied to win the nightcap in a Centennial Conference split against Dickinson College on Tuesday.
Gettysburg (12-14, 2-4 CC) came back after being down three-runs to hand Dickinson its first conference loss of the season. The Bullets fell short in the opener with Dickinson (14-12, 7-1 CC) 4-3.
Dickinson cracked the scoring column in the first inning as Brigitte Gutpelet rounded the bases to tally the run for an early 1-0 lead.
The next pair of innings were scoreless until the top of the fourth. With two outs, the Red Devils Hannah Seburn doubled to left field to bring Marissa Fabbo in for the run to push the advantage 2-0.
The Red Devils added another run in the top of the sixth inning off an RBI single from Gutpelet to hold a three-run lead. The Bullets answered back in the bottom of the frame as junior
Sarahrose Jonik (Glenmoore, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) crushed a two-run RBI double to center field to allow junior
Taylor Doi (Foster City, Calif./San Mateo) and junior
Liz Cowell (Verona, N.J./Mount Saint Dominic) to cross the plate.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bullets still trailed by one, but a sacrifice fly by sophomore
Brooke Studnik (Miami, Fla./Dr. Michael M. Krop) tied the game at 3-3. The next two batters flied out to center field, sending the game into extra innings.
As darkness was quickly approaching, the Bullets started the bottom of the ninth with a double through the right side by junior
Rachel Julie (Elmsford, N.Y./Briarcliff) who then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Gettysburg found themselves with two quick outs thereafter, but the fourth batter of the inning struck gold. Studnik came up to the plate and belted the game-winning RBI single through the right side to close the nightcap in a comeback, thrilling fashion.
Julie went 3-for-5 with a run and two doubles. Jonik finished with a double and two RBI, while Studnik also produced two RBI.
Senior
Morgan Clauser (Columbus, N.J./Northern Burlington) collected her 10th win of the season in tossing four innings of relief for the Bullets.
In the opener, senior
Meredith Taylor (Hamilton, N.J./Northern Burlington) notched an RBI single through the left side to give the Bullets an early 1-0 lead at the bottom of the first inning.
Clauser was on fire from the circle as she struck out five of the first six batters she faced. However, the Red Devils went on to post a run in the top of the third off an RBI double by Brigitte Gutpelet, tying the game at 1-1.
Dickinson registered three runs on four hits in the top of the sixth to extend the advantage by three (4-1).
The Orange and Blue were looking for the comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning as sophomore pinch hitter
Brynn Griffith (Maple Glen, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) was walked and Jonik hit the first single of the frame. With two outs, Gettysburg pounded back-to-back RBI singles from Julie and Taylor, but the rally fell short as Dickinson took game one.
Despite the loss, Clauser posted 11 strikeouts to move her season total to 94.
Taylor went 3-for-3 with two RBI with Julie, Jonik, and Blasius adding a hit.
Gettysburg hosts Swarthmore College on Saturday at 1 p.m.
