he Elizabethtown College softball team was in action in four games this weekend. The team played the University of Scranton Royals and the Susquehanna University Crusaders. The Blue Jays beat the Royals in two back-to-back games, then fell to the Crusaders the next day.
The Jays defeated the Royals on Saturday, winning with a score of 10-9 in the first game and 9-2 in the second. In the first game, junior Payton Marunich batted three RBIs helping the Jays to their victory. Junior Jessica White also helped with the victory by hitting three more RBIs and one solo home run. Junior Becky Becher also contributed to the win by hitting four RBIs. First-year Kristen Blass had a double and three RBIs off of one hit at bat.
Sophomore Keli Krause was taken off the pitching mound after allowing two runs in one inning. Junior Justyna Pepkowski replaced Krause on the mound. In the fourth inning, Marunich hit a two-run home run to bring the Jays’ lead to 7-6. The Royals came back to make the score 8-7 Royals. White answered with a solo home run to bring the Jays even with the Royals at 8-8. The two teams clashed and by the bottom of the seventh inning, the Jays were still in the lead with a score of 10-9. Pepkowski stayed strong on the pitching mound, giving the Jays the 10-9 victory.
The Jays went to work early in the second game, scoring quickly and numerously. Junior Laura Tomasetti pitched for the Jays and was able to contain the Royals’ batters. Marunich, White and Werner had RBIs. Junior Jordan Nowacki also contributed to the RBIs. The Jays scored once in the first inning, twice in the second and fifth innings and four times in the sixth inning. Blass also contributed with an RBI and three runs. Senior Amanda Sheckard added two runs to the Jays’ victory.
The Jays were back in action the following day against Susquehanna. The stakes for the game were high, considering the first place spot in the conference was on the line. However, after a day of playing, the Crusaders remained victorious in both games. The Jays fell in the first game, 6-5, and in the second 9-2.
The Crusaders had a single run in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth, but the Jays would not go down so easily.
Becher and Marunich each hit a single to start off the bottom of the sixth inning. Werner was able to hit a single through the right side of the field, allowing Becher to run in from second. Nowacki recorded another single, allowing Marunich to run in to make the score 6-2. Werner was able to steal home, again giving the Jays another run in. The Jays were able to add two more runs off of Sheckard and Marunich, bringing the score to 5-6. Susquehanna was able to hold out in the seventh inning, giving the Crusaders the victory.
The first half of the second game was tight. Pepkowski and Crusader Jamie Fesinstine were locked in a pitching battle for most of the second game. Susquehanna hit one runner in the second inning and another in the fifth. The Jays rallied back with two runs in off of White’s single, making the score 2-2. However, the Crusaders finally broke Pepkoswki in the seventh, bringing seven runs in. Game two ended with Susquehanna taking the victory, 9-2.
