Coming off of a six-game losing streak, Elizabethtown College softball team hoped to bounce back and capture their first home win of the season in their doubleheader against Ursinus College. In game one, Etown had junior pitcher Mikaela Benner take the mound for the Blue Jays. The Bears got out to a hot start, beginning the contest with a single, two doubles and a home run to drive in the first four runs of the game. Benner kept her composure, striking out the next batter and grabbing the next two outs, despite Ursinus putting up a five-run inning in the first, four of the runs attributed to Benner. Junior outfielder Brooke Huczko got the hitting game started for the Blue Jays in the first, knocking a triple into right-center field for her first at-bat of the game, however, Etown couldn’t bring her home, stranding her at third to end the first inning. The Bears picked up where they left off, scoring two more runs off a passed ball and a sacrifice fly into center field, with Benner picking up only one earned run in the inning.
Etown wasn’t done yet, notching their first run of the game after Ursinus loaded the bases, and junior infielder Maddie Reever was able to score off a groundout to the shortstop. The Bears continued to pour on the runs, tacking on another three runs in the top of the third to extend their lead to 10-1. After one hit between the two sides in the bottom of the third and the top of the fourth, Etown began to claw back on the sizable lead, with first-year designated hitter Emma Dahl scoring on a wild pitch, first-year outfielder Lexi O’Brien scoring off a groundout and sophomore infielder Skye Zolomij scoring off a double from Huczko. Both teams did a good job limiting runs for the majority of the game, with the score stuck at 11-4 with only two hits allowed through the fifth and sixth innings. First-year pitcher Jess Dunn took the mound in the sixth inning, hoping to limit the runs by the Bears. Etown had one last attempt to steal a win in the seventh, with Huczko scoring off a sacrifice fly, however, Ursinus held on, winning with a final score of 12-5.
In game two, Ursinus knocked in two runs early, both unearned for Dunn, who took the mound for both games. Etown was limited to only two hits in the first three innings, with Dahl dropping a bunt, beating out the throw for an infield single in the first and sophomore outfielder Hannah Long hitting a single into left field in the third. The Blue Jays held on to a three-run deficit, with all of the runs being declared as unearned as all of the plays were by fielder’s choice. Ursinus’s offense came alive in the fifth inning, adding five runs in the inning, with only two of the runs earned by Dunn. Etown had one last effort to pull the lead within reach, but with three quick outs, Ursinus had beaten the Blue Jays 8-0 in five innings.
Dunn earned the loss in both games, bringing her record to 0-3 on the season with a 4.67 ERA. Benner dropped her season ERA to 7.90 in the loss in game one. Huczko went 4-for-4 in the first game with a double and a triple, adding an RBI and a run. Zolomij went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run in game one and O’Brien went 0-for-2 with a run, walk and an RBI. Dahl added on a stolen base in the loss in the first matchup. Etown will play their next home softball game on April 8 against Moravian University in a doubleheader.
