NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – For the second day in a row, the Cedar Crest College softball team split its two games at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. The Falcons defeated Dean College in a 9-3 final before falling to Lebanon Valley College, 7-3, in the nightcap on Monday afternoon. 

Game One – Cedar Crest 9, Dean 3

The Falcons' bats started hot, registering five runs on four hits in the top of the first inning. Freshman Alexis Kline (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter) doubled to left field to drive in graduate student Ashley Heller (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) for the first run of the game. Junior Renee Snyder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) followed with a single up the middle, plating graduate student Riley Tremblay (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) along with Kline. Senior Delaney VanBuskirk (Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge) converted a sacrifice fly to center field, which was deep enough to score graduate student Nicole Santaniello (Kissimmee, Fla./Osceola). The final run of the frame came after junior Reilly Mateljan (Friedens, Pa./Somerset Area) reached on an error and the miscue allowed Snyder to touch home.

Dean chipped away at the deficit over the next two innings, recording three runs. Freshman Jessica Stewart (Banks, Ore.) grounded out to short to score sophomore Meredith Landers (Littleton, Mass.) while junior Sari Albury (Nassau, Bahamas) connected on a two-run homer to left center in the visiting half of the third to make the score 5-3.

Cedar Crest's offense got back to work in the fourth. Heller scored the frame's first run on a single up the middle from Tremblay. VanBuskirk delivered a two-RBI single to right field, sending Santaniello and Tremblay home. Senior Sophia Callari (Asbury, N.J./North Hunterdon) drove in the final run of the game on a single through the left side, plating Snyder for the 9-3 final.

Heller and Santaniello paced the Falcons with three hits each.

Senior Lillian Boltz (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) picked up the complete-game win in the circle for Cedar Crest. She gave up three runs on six hits while fanning eight.

Stewart was tagged with the loss for the Bulldogs, registering three innings of work in the circle.

Game Two – Lebanon Valley College 7, Cedar Crest 3

The Falcons stuck first in the nightcap when Alexis Kline (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter) grounded out to short and Heller would eventually score on a throwing error for the 1-0 advantage.

Lebanon Valley College answered back with three runs in the home half of the opening frame. A sacrifice fly to right field from sophomore Julia Craig (Chino Hills, Calif.) drove in freshman Lexi Smith (Westminster, Md.) to knot the game at one. Sophomore Jessica Truitt (Seaford, Del.) connected on a single to left center, scoring junior Julia Forsythe (Lititz, Pa.) and graduate student Morgan Comfort (Trenton, N.J.) doubled, plating Truitt for the two-run lead, 3-1.

The Flying Dutchmen stretched the lead to 5-1 in the second and remained in control for the rest of the contest, adding runs in the fourth and sixth.

In the fourth, VanBuskirk connected on a base knock to short, which scored Tremblay and Callari delivered the final run for the Falcons in the sixth with a single through the left side, plating Santaniello.

Sophomore Jordan Walter (Lebanon, Pa.) was credited with the win in the circle for Lebanon Valley while sophomore Corinne Mundy (Philadelphia, Pa./The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush) was given the loss.

Cedar Crest (2-3 overall) has an off-day Tuesday and will return to the field on Wednesday, March 8 against Gwynedd Mercy (9:30 a.m.) and Eureka College (11:30 a.m.) at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic.   

For the latest on Cedar Crest Athletics, follow the Falcons via social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!