April 21, 2002
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) -
Despite a hard-fought first game, the Lafayette softball team dropped a Patriot League doubleheader to league foe Lehigh on Sunday at Metzgar Field. The Mountain Hawks outlasted the Leopards, 3-2, in game one and took game two, 10-4.
Lehigh (29-12, 13-3) struck first in game one to put up one run in the each of the first two innings. Jenny Bender doubled to left field to score Stephanie Digneo in the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Jessica Young hit a solo home run to left field to put the Mountain Hawks ahead, 2-0, in the second.
Lafayette responded with two runs in the fourth inning. Senior Liz Lucisano started the action with a single to center field followed by Kelly Wise's single to left. Junior Mara Shainheit advanced the runners to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Megan Longo stepped to the plate to belt a two-RBI double to center field, scoring Lucisano and Wise to tie the game, 2-2.
The Mountain Hawks recorded the eventual winning run in the fifth inning on a Chris Duncan double to left field that allowed pinch runner Britt Swanson to cross the plate. The one-run advantage held for Lehigh to take game one, 3-2.
Lehigh pitcher Danielle Resovich earned the win after fanning eight batters while finishing a complete game. Lafayette's Amy Magos took the loss with one strikeout. Longo lead the Leopards with one hit and two RBI on the day.
In game two, Lehigh came out swinging to put up four runs in its first at-bat. Duncan tripled to center field to bring in Bender and Digneo. While Digeno and Stephanie Howell each recorded RBI singles.
The Leopards cut the deficit to two runs in the next inning. Wise doubled to center field to start the action. Shainheit followed with a single to center allowing Wise to score. Freshman Jackie Fitzgerald belted a single to center field to advance Shainheit to third. Junior catcher Leigh Minarick smacked an RBI single to center field to score Shainheit as Lafayette came to within two, 4-2.
Lehigh's Young hit a two-RBI single to left field to jump to a 6-2 lead in the third inning. Lafayette responded with its' own pair of runs in the bottom half of the third. Freshman Danielle Bernotsky crossed the plate on a Lehigh pick-off attempt at third that ended up in left field. Longo singled to center allowing Lucisano to score to rally to within two runs, 6-4.
After two scoreless innings, Lehigh managed to load the bases on a series of walks and reached home on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth. With runners in scoring position, Lehigh's Shannon Long hit a three-RBI homer to center field to score Duncan and Bender for a six-run lead, 10-4.
Shainheit, Long and Minarick each recorded a hit and an RBI for the Leopards while Fitzgerald was credited with the loss after fanning one batter in five innings.
Lehigh's Long went 2-for-3 from the plate with three RBI while Duncan and Young each had two RBI on the day. Howell picked up the win on the mound after striking out six batters. Emily Ling finished the final four innings and fanned eight batters while allowing just one hit.
Lafayette (5-26, 1-15) hits the road to take on Wagner in non-conference action on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
