ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College softball squad swept Centenary University (6-6, 6-4 CSAC) in a pair of Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) games on Saturday afternoon at Blaschak Field. The Falcons (8-2, 8-2 CSAC) shutout the Cyclones in Game 1, 3-0, followed by a 6-3 victory in Game 2.
"What a great day inside the circle," exclaimed Head Coach Kim Begley. "Our pitchers really carried our team through as our bats were silent today coming off a full week with no games."
GAME 1: After a scoreless first inning, Cedar Crest would get a run on the board in the bottom of the second with a single to left-center field that drove in a run. The Falcons tacked on two insurance runs in their half of the sixth inning, taking a 3-0 lead into the final frame. Cedar Crest would manage to put away tame the Cyclones in the game, earning their first shutout of the 2021 season.
Four Falcons combined for just five hits, with senior Patricia Dalton (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) leading the team with two hits in the game. Dalton went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Graduate student Dallas Horning (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) and junior Delaney VanBuskirk (Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge) each went 1-for-3 with a base hit. Senior Riley Tremblay (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) also went 1-for-3 in the contest, driving in a run for the Black and Yellow.
Junior Skyler Bilous (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) started in the circle for Cedar Crest, throwing a 7.0 inning shutout. She gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out two Cyclones in the 28 batters she faced. walked one and struck out one. Bilous earned the win in the decision, making her record (4-1) overall.
GAME 2: Similar to game 1, Cedar Crest would score the first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead over Centenary. The Falcons would add another run in the third inning off a single to centerfield that drove in a run. Cedar Crest would extend their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth after a double to right-center that brought in another run. The Cyclones made things interesting in the top of the sixth inning when they would tie the game with three runs of their own. The Falcons collected themselves and put together a three-run bottom half of the sixth to take the lead for good, claiming the 6-3 victory for the sweep.
"We had timely hitting when it came down to needing runs and ultimately getting the job done," concluded Begley.
Eight different Falcons each recorded a hit, with four of them with two or more hits in the game. Delaney VanBuskirk (Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge) put together a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, with a double and three RBIs. Graduate students Nicole Santaniello (Kissimmee, Fl./Osceola) and Dallas Horning (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) each had two hits, with Santaniello going 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and scoring a run, as Horning went 2-for-3, plating a run and scoring one of her own. Junior Rachel Savini (Wilmington, DE/Delaware Military Academy) also went 2-for-3 in game 2, with four members of the Black and Yellow recorded base hits.Sophomore Renee Snyder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) had a base hit that drove in a run and scored a run herself, while senior Ashley Heller (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) reached base twice, once on a bunt, and the other after getting hit by a pitch, and a crossed the plate to score a run for the Falcons. Senior Danielle Krispin (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) scored two runs from her one hit and being hit by a pitch. Patricia Dalton (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) also reached base on a hit to round out the 13 total hits for Cedar Crest in Game 2.
Graduate student, Breanna Young (Easton, PA/Wilson Area), got the start in game 2, throwing a complete game. She gave up three earned runs on nine hits while striking out one of the 31 batters she faced. Young earned the victory, putting her at (3-1) this season.
Cedar Crest hits the road for their next CSAC doubleheader, traveling to Clarks Summit University on Thursday, April 22. First-pitch is set for 3:00 PM. Be sure to tune in to cedarcrestathletics.com for all updates, live stats and live stream links. For the full Cedar Crest Softball schedule, CLICK HERE!
