WARRIOR SOFTBALL SUFFERS EXTRA INNING HEARTBREAKER

WILKES-BARRE, PA – The Lycoming College softball team faced a tough challenge in the opening round of the Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference tournament drawing defending champion and number-two seed King’s College. The Warriors, however, gave the Monarchs all they could handle forcing extra innings before giving up a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning to fall 2-1.

Lycoming opened the scoring in their first turn at bat. Marianne Simpson (Fr./Camp Hill, PA; Camp Hill) drew a one-out walk and advanced to second when Jess Feerrar (Jr./Lock Haven, PA; Lock Haven) reached first on an error. Amy Curry (Fr./Fallentimber, PA; Moshannon Valley) then walked to load the bases. Dara Dietrich (Sr./Pitman, PA; Tri-Valley) then drove the ball to the outfield, allowing Simpson to tag up and score on the sacrifice fly.

The Warriors’ lead was short lived, however, as King’s scored a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Stacey Preambo drove home Lisa Rizzo on a single to center field. Despite the early scoring by both squads, the pitchers settled in and took over the game dueling through six scoreless innings.

The Monarchs finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth inning when Preambo hit an opposite field homerun with one out to end the game.

Feerrar, Curry, Dietrich, and Crystal Hampton (So./Catawissa, PA; Southern Columbia) each had one hit for Lycoming. Amanda Gery (Fr./Whitehall, PA; Whitehall) went the distance on the mound, allowing eight hits and two runs.

The Warriors will have to fight for survival during the second day of the double-elimination tournament, starting with a game against top-seeded Drew University at 9 a.m. The Rangers were upset by fourth-seeded Scranton, 9-0, in the opening game of the playoffs.

COLLEGIATE SOFTBALL
Teams                    1  2  3     4  5  6     7  8     R  H  E
Lycoming                1  0  0     0  0  0     0  0     1   4   0
King’s                     1  0  0     0  0  0     0  1     2   8   1
WP – Karen Ball; LP-Amanda Gery