WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Powered by a seven-run fourth inning, the Lebanon Valley College softball team posted an 11-7 win over UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday afternoon at the DiamondPlex Field in Winter Haven. The win moves the Flying Dutchmen to 4-1 on the season, while the Corsairs see their three-game win streak halted and are now 3-2.
After two scoreless innings to open the contest, the Corsairs got things going in the top of the third as rookie outfielder
Sydney Menz nabbed a single. That play was quickly followed by sophomore outfielder
Victoria Rossetti, who reached on a fielding error as Menz advanced to third. Junior
Dyonna Rodas came up to the plate, sending a single through the left side to drive in both runners and grab the 2-0 lead.
Grad student and shortstop
Leah Major was up next, singling to right to bring Rodas in for the third run, while outfielder
Kinu Takasugi came in to pinch run, stealing second which set up the RBI opportunity for grad student
Jill Richards as she drove a single into center to make it a 4-0 lead.
The Flying Dutchmen countered in the bottom half of the inning after a double to center by junior infielder Julia Craig drove in a run, followed by a single to left from sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Willey to advance the runner. Junior outfielder Jessica Truitt stepped up to the plate for LVC, singling to left to driving in the run, which was followed by an RBI single from Gronback to pull it to 4-3.
Rookie shortstop Megan Heard capped the scoring, tying the contest at 4-all as she singled to center to bring in the tying run. A quiet top half of the inning for the Corsairs turned into a busy defensive effort for the visitors as the Flying Dutchmen broke open the game.
Craig grabbed the go-ahead runs, driving a two-run single down the right side. Two batters later saw Gronback with a two-run single of her own pushing the margin to 8-4. A single to right from rookie infielder Hayley Krill was followed by a two-run hit to left by junior Danni Holmes as Lebanon Valley opened up the 11-4 lead.
Top of the fifth saw the Corsairs work to mount a comeback as Major opened with a bunt single down the line. Junior infielder
Hailey Lyons followed with a single and a hit by pitch to
Lindsay Chubbuck saw UMD with bases loaded.
Richards followed that up by reaching on a fielder's choice, scoring a run. Looking to steal second on the next play, Richards was caught, but it allowed Lyons to score off the throw to pull the deficit to 11-6. A Rossetti single in the top of the sixth helped close the gap to four (11-7), but it was as close as the Corsairs would get.
Craig paced the Flying Dutchmen with a 2-for-3 effort, adding two runs scored and three RBI. Gronback also went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored, while Holmes was 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. In the circle, senior hurler Alicia Gotts picked up the victory, going 2.0 innings with three runs allowed over six hits. Junior Jordan Walter picked up the save, going 2.0 innings with just one hit allowed.
Major went 2-for-4 on the day with a run scored and an RBI, while Richards posted a hit with two RBI. Rossetti posted a 1-for-3 effort with a run scored and an RBI. In the circle, sophomore
Ella Beaulieu shouldered the loss, allowing three runs. Junior
Kaitlyn Shirshac pitched 3.0 innings, surrendering four runs on five hits.
UMass Dartmouth concludes Tuesday's action at 4:30pm, taking on Otterbein.
