ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Tuesday, April 3, 2001

ETOWN SPLITS CONFERENCE DOUBLEHEADER WITH SUSQUEHANNA, LOSES FIRST 8-2, WINS SECOND 5-2

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown improved to 5-9 overall and 3-1 in the Commonwealth Conference by splitting a doubleheader at home with Susquehanna Tuesday. Susquehanna won the first game, 8-2, while Etown captured the second, 5-2. Susquehanna's record now stands at 8-7-1 overall and 5-2-1 in the conference.

Susquehanna jumped out to an early lead by tagging Etown starter Kristy Nowell (Wilmington, DE/St. Elizabeth) for two runs in the first while going through eight batters. Nowell gave up three more runs in the second before being replaced in the circle by Michelle Morris (Conyngham, PA/Hazleton). Morris allowed two more runs before cooling off the Crusaders' offense. At the end of the second inning, the score stood at 7-0 in Susquehanna's favor.

Elizabethtown scored its first run in the third inning when Kristi Kulesa (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley) led off with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice, and was driven home on a sacrifice bunt by Jess Robinson (McSherrystown, PA/Delone Catholic). Etown scored again in the fourth when Emily Morris (Canton, PA/Canton) led off with a single and was driven in on a single by Erin Malone (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain).

On the defensive end, Michelle Morris held Susquehanna scoreless in the third and fourth innings, before allowing one run in the beginning of the fifth. Vicki Andrel (Upper Darby, PA/Upper Darby) took over pitching duties in the fifth for Etown and allowed only one hit while striking out three in the final three innings.

Kristen Hogan (Succasunna, NJ) got a complete game victory for Susquehanna, spreading out seven hits over seven innings and walking only one. Teresa Ely (Montrose, PA/Montrose) batted two for four with two runs scored, two RBI, and one triple for the Crusaders.

The first two innings of the second game were a defensive struggle, as Etown starting pitcher Pam Pike (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and Susquehanna starter Amy Kleman (Locustdale, PA/Cardinal Brennan) each held the other team hitless. Susquehanna got on the board in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead.

Elizabethtown struck back with an explosive performance in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs. Emily Morris and Melissa Reinhart (Bernville, PA/Hamburg) led off with a pair of singles. After one out, Emily Marcheski (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) singled, driving home Emily Morris. Laurie Morris (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan) followed with a single to load the bases. Kulesa followed with another single, driving home Reinhart and Marcheski, but Laurie Morris was thrown out trying for home.

With two outs, Michelle Casserly (Sussex, NJ/High Point) walked, and was followed by Robinson, who doubled and drove home Kulesa for the fourth run of the inning. The fifth run came when the Blue Jays pulled off a double steal. As Robinson bolted for second, drawing a reactive throw from the Susquehanna catcher, Casserly charged home. Both were safe.

Pike pitched for the Blue Jays into the sixth inning, giving up one run in the top of the sixth. Andrel came back in as Etown's pitcher at the end of the sixth, striking out Ely with the bases loaded for the third out of the inning. She pitched the seventh inning as well.

Etown returns to action at home Thursday, April 5 against Lycoming, in a make up of a previously rained out doubleheader. Game time is 3:00 p.m.

At Elizabethtown, PA
Game One
Susquehanna 8, Elizabethtown 2

                                           R H  E
Susquehanna (8-6-1, 5-1-1) 2 5 0 0 1 0 0 — 8 11 0
Elizabethtown (4-9, 2-1)   0 0 1 1 0 0 0 — 2 7  0

Hogan and Ackerman; Nowell, Morris (2), Andrel (5) and Reinhart. WP: Hogan. LP: Nowell. SO-BB: Hogan 0-1, Nowell 2-2, Morris 2-2, Andrel 3-0. 2B: Bird (S), Reinhart (E), Kulesa (E). 3B: Ely (S), Zimmerman (S). SB: Kulesa (E), Lezinski (E), Casserly (E).

Game Two
Elizabethtown 5, Susquehanna 2

                                           R H E
Susquehanna (8-7-1, 5-2-1) 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 — 2 7 0
Elizabethtown (5-9, 3-1)   0 0 0 5 0 0 x — 5 7 0

Kleman and Ackerman; Pike, Moyer (6), Andrel (6) and Reinhart. WP: Pike. LP: Kleman. SO-BB: Kleman 1-5, Pike 2-5, Moyer 0-1, Andrel 1-0. 2B: Ely (S), Ackerman (S) Robinson (E) 2, Casserly (E), Marcheski (E). SB: Robinson (E) 2, Casserly (E), L. Morris (E).