Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Scranton, PA – Marywood University used extra innings to rally for a 5-4 win over visiting Alvernia College but could not put away the Crusaders in the nightcap as the Pacers lost game two 7-2 Sunday afternoon in a PAC softball doubleheader. The split puts the Pacers at 10-8 (1-3 PAC) while the Crusaders stand at 11-6 (6-2 PAC).
In the opener, Erika Cook's (Wyalusing, PA) sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the eighth scored Colleen Regan as Marywood topped Alvernia 5-4 in extra innings. Regan (Endwell, NY) opened the bottom of the inning with a single to center, promptly stole second and would move to third on a dropped third strike.
Earlier, Alvernia used two big hits in the top of the fourth to break a 1-1 tie. Crusader pitcher Emily Williams (Minersville, PA) started the inning with a double to left and Michele Kassab (Pompton Lakes, NJ) followed with her first homer of the season over the left field fence to give Alvernia a 3-1 lead.
Marywood responded in the bottom half of the fourth and took a 4-3 lead as Nikki Belles (Rome, PA) and Cook ripped back-to-back RBI doubles to lead the Pacers' comeback. Alvernia's Rhiannon Sorrentino (Whitehall, PA) opened the visitor's half of the fifth with a three-base hit to center and Lauren Crimi (Nazareth, PA) followed with her third hit and second RBI of the day, a single to short center as the Crusaders tied the game at 4-4.
Mallory Gable (Hughestown, PA) improved to 3-2 on the year for Marywood after striking out seven over eight innings of work. Regan finished the opener 4-4 at the plate with two runs scored, while Cook and Belles each had two RBI.
Sorrentino, Crimi and Williams each had three hits for the Crusaders in the opener, while Williams went the distance on the mound, striking out eight.
In the nightcap, Alvernia scored four runs with the help of two triples in the first inning and went on to a 7-2 win to salvage the series split. Sorrentino gave Alvernia a 1-0 lead after opening the game with a triple to right-center would score on a passed ball. Alvernia then loaded the bases with no outs, and after back-to-back force outs at the plate, Beth Jablonowski (Philadelphia, PA) cleared the bases with a triple of her own.
Marywood got one run back in the bottom half of the first when Caitlin Hadzimichalis' (Harmony, NJ) RBI single to left scored Cook, but went up 5-1 in the top of the second on a Jackie Rhoads sacrifice fly to left and 6-1 in the fourth on a Williams single to left-center. Kassab would belt Alvernia's third triple of the nightcap as her rip to left-center in the sixth made it 7-1. Marywood's Mallory Gable got a pinch-hit RBI in the seventh to make it 7-2.
Michelle Jensen (Holland, NJ) moved to 5-2 on the mound for the Crusaders, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings of work. Jensen helped her cause by going 2-4 at the plate in the nightcap. Rhoades and Williams were both 2-3 with an RBI while Jablonowski had three RBIs as part of her 2-4 performance.
Lauren Monaco (Carle Place, NY) fell to 3-3 on the year after going the distance on the mound for the Pacers. Monaco allowed five earned runs on 14 hits while striking out one. Cook finished the nightcap 2-3 for Marywood.
Marywood returns to action Friday when they visit Gwynedd-Mercy College for a 4:00 pm PAC doubleheader.
