ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Monday, March 1, 2004

Etown Splits Season Opening Day in California, Defeats Ohio Northern 7-5 in Nine Innings, Falls to Olivet 6-5

ORANGE, Calif. --- Elizabethtown opened its 2004 season Monday in Orange, CA with a 7-5 nine-inning win over Ohio Northern and a 6-5 loss to Olivet (MI).

In the Blue Jays' first game of the day, against Ohio Northern, Etown scored the first run in the top of the first, only to see Ohio Northern take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. By the end of the third inning, the score was tied 3-3, which is where it remained until the top of the sixth, when Etown went up 4-3. Ohio Northern tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh to send it into extra innings. Both teams scored one run in the eighth inning, and Etown scored two in the top of the ninth and held Ohio Northern scoreless in the bottom half.

Michelle Morris (Conyngham, PA/Hazleton) pitched all nine innings for Etown against Ohio Northern and allowed just one earned run while striking out three, walking four, and allowing nine hits. First-year center fielder Kelli Thon (Victor, NY/Victor Central) batted 2-for-4 in her collegiate debut with a sacrifice and two runs scored. First baseman Erin Malone (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain) went 2-for-4 at the plate with one run driven in and a walk, and catcher Tiffany Inch (Middleburg, PA/Middleburg) drove in a pair of runs while going 1-for-4 with a run scored. Shortstop Emily Morris (Canton, PA/Canton) hit 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored, and third baseman Diana Aria (Philadelphia, PA/Merion Mercy Academy) scored a run and drove in another while going 1-for-4. Megan Balmer (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central) scored a run while going 1-for-2 with two sacrifices at the plate.

Facing Olivet in the second game, Etown saw a 5-1 lead it had built by the fourth inning evaporate as Olivet scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth and another two in the bottom of the seventh to snatch the win from Etown.

Emily Morris smacked her first home run of the season and the fifth of her career in the game against Olivet while going 1-for-3 with one run, one RBI and a walk. Thon drove in a pair of runs, and catcher Kelly Johnson (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) scored a pair of runs while going 1-for-2 with a sacrifice at the plate. Aria hit 2-for-4 with a double, one run and one RBI, and Allison McMullen (Breinigsville, PA/Parkland) hit 1-for-3 with a run scored. First-year pitcher Lauren Swiecicki (Baltimore, MD/Perry Hall) helped her own cause by driving in a run and batting 1-for-4 with a double. In the circle, she allowed four earned runs in 6-1/3 innings, struck out one, and walked three.

After getting two hits yesterday, Emily Morris is now just 11 base hits away from tying the Etown career record of 133 hits. After three strikeouts yesterday, Michelle Morris is now 21 strikeouts away from tying the Etown program record of 360.

Etown will return to action today in Orange, CA against Concordia (CA) at 10:45 a.m. and La Verne at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Elizabethtown Col. 7, Ohio Northern Univ. 5 (Mar 01, 2004 at Orange, CA)
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Elizabethtown Col... 102 001 012 - 7 11 5
Ohio Northern Univ.. 021 000 110 - 5 9  5
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Pitchers: Elizabethtown Col. - M. Morris. Ohio Northern Univ. - Mascari.
Win-M.Morris(1-0) Loss-Mascari(0-1)

Olivet College 6, Elizabethtown Col. 5 (Mar 01, 2004 at Orange, CA)
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Elizabethtown Col... 031 100 0 - 5 8  1 (1-1)
Olivet College...... 001 030 2 - 6 11 2 (2-0)
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Pitchers: Elizabethtown Col. - L. Swiecicki. Olivet College - Newland.
Win-Newland(1-0) Loss-L. Swiecicki(0-1)
HR ETOWN - E. Morris.