#25 Greyhounds Sweeps Elizabethtown in Home Opener
The 25th-ranked Moravian College softball team needed to rally from a one-run deficit in the second game to earn an 8-7 win and sweep a non-conference doubleheader from Elizabethtown College Tuesday afternoon after the Greyhounds won the opener, 3-0, in the squad's first two home games of the 2011 season.
The 25th-ranked Moravian College softball team needed to rally from a one-run deficit in the second game to earn an 8-7 win and sweep a non-conference doubleheader from Elizabethtown College Tuesday afternoon after the Greyhounds won the opener, 3-0, in the squad's first two home games of the 2011 season.
In the first contest, Moravian scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the first inning. Senior outfielder Olivia Evanko reached on an error with one out and moved to third on a two-out double by junior pitcher Jenna Carmon, pictured at right. Freshman catcher Cassie Ernst followed with a two-RBI single, and Ernst scored on an Elizabethtown error.
The Greyhounds had a 4-3 edge in hits in the first game with Ernst going one-for-three with a pair of RBIs.
Carmon improved to 5-1 in the circle for Moravian, allowing just three hits and striking out four batters in her second straight shutout. Julie Sebastian took the loss for the Blue Jays after giving up three unearned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three.
In the second game, it was Elizabethtown that struck first with a run in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by first baseman Elly McCarthy.
Moravian answered in the bottom half of the first to tie the game at 1-1. Evanko singled with one out and scored on an RBI single by Carmon to even the score.
The Blue Jays pulled ahead in the third with two runs on RBI singles from McCarthy and Perella.
The Greyhounds answered again in the home half of the third inning when Ernst hit a two-out, two run homer to left field scoring senior infielder Stephanie Falzarano, who had reached on a fielder's choice. For Ernst, it was her first collegiate home run.
Elizabethtown tallied three runs in the top of the fourth for a 6-3 lead with all three runs scoring on a Moravian error on a ball hit by Sebastian.
Moravian closed within a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI sacrifice fly from freshman outfielder Miranda Sergas and an RBI infield single by Falzarano, and the Greyhounds tied the game again at 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI pinch hit single by sophomore Brook Kowal.
The Blue Jays took the lead once again in the top of the sixth inning when second baseman Whitney Breneman led off with a solo home run to left field.
The Greyhounds then scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning for the victory. Evanko led off the inning with a walk and moved to second Ernst was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt by Carmon, freshman pinch hitter Melissa Cottone hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Evanko and move Ernst to third. Sophomore infielder Shannen Mohr, pictured at right, would reach on an error that allowed Ernst to score the winning run.
Both teams had eight hits in the second game. Carmon was two-for-two with an RBI to lead Moravian while Ernst was one-for-two with two RBIs, a home run and three runs scored. McCarthy was two-for-three for the Blue Jays with two RBIs while Breneman was one-for-two with three runs to go with her solo homer.
Sophomore Alyssa Fegely earned her third win of the season in the circle for the Greyhounds, tossing two innings of relief action. Fegely allowed a hit and a walk while striking out four. armon started for Moravian, allowing seven runs, just three earned, on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five-plus innings of action.
Emily Vogel took the loss for the Blue Jays after giving up eight runs, five earned, on eight hits and three walks.
