Lady Warriors Take Two from Drew
Caroselli, McCoy Key in Clutch
Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. --- Lycoming softball bounced back from its tough outing at King’s College earlier in the week by taking two from Drew University on Saturday afternoon at the Shangraw Athletic Complex.  The Lady Warriors edged the Rangers 2-1 in game one and came back from a late Drew rally to win 4-3 in the second contest.  Lycoming now stands at 5-5 overall, 2-2 in the Freedom Conference while the Rangers fall to 7-8, 0-2.

Senior Christine Caroselli (Newtown, Pa./Pennsbury) and junior Melissa McCoy (Williamsport, Pa./Jersey Shore) provided in the clutch for the Lady Warriors in the second game.  After Drew put three on the board to take the lead in the top of the sixth, Lycoming made some noise in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of two Ranger errors to put runners on first and second with nobody out.  Sophomore Dana Marek (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) followed with the second perfect sacrifice bunt of the game for Lycoming, setting the stage for Caroselli.  The Lady Warriors’ lead-off hitter lined a 1-2 pitch up the middle to bring around senior Lauren Wilson (Ontario, California/Chino) and tie the score 3-3.  McCoy brought in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to left to score freshman Melissa Ball (Williamsport, Pa./Cameron County).

Seniors Morgan Mantle (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) and Kristen Reese (State College, Pa./State College) went the distance in their respective starts for the Lady Warriors.  Mantle toed the rubber in the opening contest, surrendering one run on six hits while fanning half-a-dozen to move to 3-2 on the season.  Reese upped her mark to an even 2-2 by giving up only three runs, two earned, on four hits.  She sent six Rangers back to the dugouts holding their bats through the first three innings, finishing the game with eight strikeouts.

Lycoming jumped on top early in the first game with a pair of runs in the first inning.  After Caroselli took a fastball to her lead leg, McCoy looped a slicing shot down the left-field line that tucked just inside the chalk for a double to score Caroselli all the way around from first.  Mantle followed with a crisp grounder up the middle to plate McCoy.

The Rangers broke through in the sixth inning, but it took a little more work than expected to score their lone run.  Following a double by Brittany Westcott and a ground out pushing her over to third, Lauren Collini hit into a short-to-catcher-to-third fielder’s choice in which pinch runner Nicole Gagliardi was nabbed in a rundown between third and home.  Collini, having advanced to second during the rundown, made her way towards the plate on Dena Tomassi’s pinch-hit single.  The throw from right field had the runner beat, but it short-hopped the plate and skidded past catcher Betsy Reese (State College, Pa./State College) to allow the run.

Drew started off the seventh with a single back up the box, but a failed sac bunt and two induced pop-ups by Mantle secured the first game victory.

Action in the second affair started much like the first with the Lady Warriors jumping on top from the outset.  Two Ranger errors helped the Lady Warriors load the bases with Caroselli scoring on the latter miscue of a booted slow-roller by the third baseman.  Drew’s Collini, starting game two and relieving in the opening contest, induced a pair of foul-outs and a strikeout to minimize the damage.

Lycoming tacked on one more in the third.  Mantle and sophomore Holly Billow (Millersburg, Pa./Millersburg) started things off with a pair of singles followed by a text-book sacrifice bunt by Betsy Reese to give the Lady Warriors runners at second and third with no outs.  Two batters later, Wilson sent a shot right back up the middle to score Mantle.

The Rangers used the long ball to bust through in the top of the sixth.  With a runner on second and two out, Westcott jumped on a Kristen Reese fastball and yanked it over the left field fence to tie the score 2-2.  Kraft followed with a shot to third that was misplayed, resulting in a two-base error in Drew’s favor.  Collini pulled the next pitch deep into the hole on the left side.  Shortstop Marissa Hastings (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) dove for the ball, but it slid off her leather into short left field allowing Kraft to score.

Lycoming look to continue its winning ways on Thursday, March 30, as the Lady Warriors travel to Delaware Valley College for a Freedom Conference tilt.  Game one is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.