ST. DAVIDS, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College softball team was defeated twice by Eastern University in a non-league doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. The Falcons fell 4-1 in the opener before the Eagles took game two in a 7-4 final.
Game One – Eastern 4, Cedar Crest 1
Eastern plated three runs in the top of the first inning. First-year Alyssa Binczak (Mount Laurel, N.J.) scored on a fielding error while sophomore Jania Long (Deptford, N.J.) brought home a pair on a two-run double to left field to push the score to 3-0.
The Falcons made a rally in the fifth, loading the bases, but only pushing one runner across. After two of the first three batters got aboard for Cedar Crest, graduate student
Ashley Heller (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. First-year
Taylor Faw (Glen Burnie, Md./Glen Burnie) came to the dish and connected on a single to left field, driving in classmate
Natalie Hasert (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township). On the same play, graduate student
Delaney VanBuskirk (Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge) was called out at third base to end the frame with the 3-1 score.
The Eagles added an insurance run in the sixth on a leadoff home run to left field from sophomore Tori Hook (Willow Street, Pa.) to make it 4-1, the eventual final.
Hook led Eastern at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored. Long went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
Faw finished 1-for-3 with an RBI while VanBuskirk registered the other hit for the Falcons, going 1-for-3.
Long was awarded the win in the circle for the Eagles. She tossed a complete game and only allowed one run on two hits while striking out four and walking two.
Junior
Corinne Mundy (Philadelphia, Pa./The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush) was tagged with the loss for the Falcons. She surrendered four runs (one earned) on two hits.
Game Two – Eastern 7, Cedar Crest 4
Eastern struck first with one run in the first inning on a Hook single to shortstop, which plated first-year Mackenzie Laub (Whitehall, Pa.).
Cedar Crest grabbed the lead in the top of the second on a two-run single up the middle from VanBuskirk. The base hit scored sophomore
Alexis Kline (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter) and senior
Renee Snyder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) to give the Falcons the 2-1 lead.
The Eagles pulled even in the home half of the second after senior Elena Iannuzzelli (Conshohocken, Pa.) singled in first-year Amanda Bruno (Clifton, N.J.) to tie the contest at two.
Cedar Crest regained the advantage in the fifth on a two-RBI single through the right side from Hasert, which scored Heller and first-year
Laney Ferraro (Philadelphia, Pa./New Foundations Charter) to push the score to 4-2.
Eastern responded with three runs in the home half of the fifth on a bases-clearing double down the third base line by Hook to re-take the lead, 5-4.
The Eagles tacked on two more in the sixth on a double to left field from Laub for the 7-4 final score.
First-year Bryn Clifford (New Ringgold, Pa.) secured the win in relief for Eastern. She tossed the last 2.1 innings and only allowed one hit. Mundy took the loss for the Falcons. She gave up seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits while fanning one in the setback.
Hook went 2-for-4 with four RBI to guide the Eagles.
Graduate student
Rachel Savini (Wilmington, Del./Delaware Military Academy) led Cedar Crest at the plate in game two, going 2-for-3.
Cedar Crest (1-9 overall) will have a quick turnaround as they are set to travel to Delaware Valley University for a non-league doubleheader tomorrow, Thursday, March 23 starting at 3:00 p.m. Eastern (11-5 overall) starts conference play on Saturday, March 25 in a twinbill beginning at 1:00 p.m.
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