he Elizabethtown College softball team, recently coming off a defeat by the Susquehanna Crusaders, came back from behind to triumph against the Commonwealth Conference adversary Lycoming College Warriors. Etown, knowing how important the final conference games are in ensuring a place in playoffs, beat the Warriors 5-4 and 8-2 in a marathon doubleheader that lasted over five hours Saturday, April 20.
The Warriors struck first with a base hit by shortstop Ashley Witmer followed by a double in left centerfield by first baseman Kristi Weaver to give Lycoming a 1-0 lead. The game would remain 1-0 in favor of the Warriors until the top of the fifth inning when right fielder Nikki Marianelli hit a sacrifice fly to increase the Lycoming lead to 2-0.
Despite the early success for pitcher Holly Lansberry of the visiting squad, the Blue Jays came up clutch. Junior Amanda Sheckard doubled to left field to begin the comeback. Senior Courtney Comstock would reach first base from a throwing error that gave Etown two runners on base. Senior third baseman Whitney Breneman would launch a towering ball over and around the left field foul pole to give Etown the first lead of the day, 3-2 after five innings.
Breneman commented on her imperative homerun, “I was down in the count and all I was trying to do was to hit a sacrifice fly and score the run. She gave me an inside pitch and I turned on it. I didn’t think it would go out, but the wind was gusty all afternoon and the ball carried over. I knew I did my job plus it was a very good feeling for the team.”
Lycoming would not go down without a fight. In the top of the sixth inning trailing 3-2, Taylor Lesser’s single to left field tied the game once again at 3-3. The game would halt scoring until the ninth inning when both teams scored.
Lycoming scored the first run in extra innings by a Marianelli single to give the Warriors another one run advantage heading to the bottom of the ninth. Sophomore center fielder Becky Becher began the comeback for the Blue Jays with a bunt single. After an out, Breneman took first on a controversial fielder’s choice that left Warriors coach Dan Lazorka questioning the umpire’s call. Senior Lindsey Cooper then roped a single to center field to bring in Becher and send Breneman to third.
Cooper, currently batting with a .363 average and 16 RBIs, has played every game since her first year at shortstop for Etown. The game would end uniquely on a wild pitch by the Warriors’ pitcher to send Breneman home for the game-winning run, Etown defeating the Warriors in game one with a score of 5-4.
Cooper commented on how she deals with such pressure situations, “I try not to put too much pressure on myself in those situations by trusting my abilities as a player of the game. I’ve been in these kinds of situations numerous times in my four years at Etown and go into each at bat with the same goal, to work the pitcher and take good swings at the ball.”
Sophomore Justyna Pepkowski (2-0) would pick up the win in game one for pitching three innings of relief coming in for sophomore Laura Tomasetti (six innings pitched). The seniors led the way for the Blue Jays. Breneman would finish 1-4 with a homerun and three RBIs while Cooper and senior Elly McCarthy would each contribute two hits as well.
Game two would go all in favor of the home team. Despite an early breakout by the Warriors to come out with another 1-0 lead, Etown bats erupted in game two. After three straight singles by McCarthy and sophomores Kaylee Werner and Payton Marunich to load the bases, first-year Keli Krause singled to tie the game. Etown gained two more runs with the bases loaded with walks by Becher and Breneman. The game remained 3-1 in favor of Etown after two innings.
Etown added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single by Werner. Becher would add another RBI this time by way of a single to increase the lead 5-1. The Warriors would try to stage a comeback in the fifth inning by a single from clean-up hitter Janelle Poorman to decrease the lead for Etown to 5-2. However, pitcher Keli Krause would sojourn the Lycoming bats from here on, getting Caroline Lapano out at second base.
Etown ensured their lead with runs in the sixth inning that put the game out of reach for the Warriors. After walks by Comstock and Cooper, McCarthy singled to left field to bring home Comstock and tally on another run. Werner once again delivered the last blow, bringing in two RBIs off a single to right field. The Blue Jays took game two 8-2. McCarthy and Werner each contributed three hits in game two, while Werner added three RBIs and Becher added two more.
Krause added another victory (8-7) to her impressive first season on the mound. In celebration of her 19th birthday, she picked up her eighth win of the season, batted 2-2 with an RBI, run and a walk.
Cooper noted how important the next two doubleheaders are with conference opponents and stated, “The doubleheader sweep against Lycoming was huge and put us back into playoff contention. The next two doubleheaders against Arcadia and LVC are very important and will either make or break us in terms of making playoffs this season.”
Just as Cooper suggested, the Blue Jays’ doubleheader against Arcadia University April 23 was very important in keeping Etown’s playoff hopes alive. The Blue Jays swept both games, winning 4-1 and 11-5. Tomasetti kept the Knights’ bats at bay in game one with a strong pitching effort. Sheckard tallied her first homerun of the season in game two, and Werner also had a two-run homerun.
Etown will be back in action April 25 as they visit Juniata College in a non-conference matchup and return to the Nest to face impressive rival Lebanon Valley Dutchmen to seek an opportunity to make it to playoffs.
