March 27, 2003
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette softball team walked away with a split of a doubleheader against Pennsylvania on Thursday at Metzgar Field. The Leopards rallied for a 5-4 win in game one, and had the bases loaded with nobody out in the sixth inning when game two was called due to darkness, losing 7-4.
In game one, Penn jumped on the Leopards early, as the Quakers loaded the bases with three straight singles before Zayha Hantz smacked a three-run double, giving Penn a 3-0 lead.
Lafayette got one run back in the third inning, when Diane Mitchell went deep to right-center for her second homer of the spring, cutting the score to 3-1.
Penn and Lafayette each got one in the fourth, with Katie Hughes registering an RBI groundout for the Quakers and Gianna Lopreato's single plating Jackie Fitzgerald to make the score 4-2.
The Leopards added an unearned run in the fifth and then in the sixth, Danielle Bernotsky doubled and later scored on Mitchell's sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4-4.
The Lafayette defense held the Quakers in the top half of the seventh inning. Then Laura Schrager started the rally with a walk and Tara Martinho blooped a single down the rightfield line. Meghan Davis sacrificed and moved the runners to second and third. Then Fitzgerald reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Schrager to score the winning run.
Along with delivering the game-winning RBI, Fitzgerald also earned the pitching win. She allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out two batters for her first victory of the season. Rebecca Ranta got the loss for the Quakers, giving up two runs and two hits in two and one-third innings of work.
Martinho finished game one a perfect 4-for-4, while Becky Foley turned in a 2-for-3 day at the plate.
In the nightcap, Lafayette trailed 2-0 in the bottom half of the third before erupting for four runs. Schrager and Davis each cracked two-run singles to cap the rally and put the Leopards ahead 4-2 after three innings.
Penn manufactured three runs on two hits in the top half of the fourth inning to retake the lead at 5-4. The Quakers added two more runs in the fifth as Danielle Landolt belted a two-run single to leftfield, putting Penn ahead 7-4.
The Leopards didn't quit, and knocked out five straight singles to cut the lead to 7-6. Mitchell and Bernotsky had the RBI singles for Lafayette.
Penn then decided to relieve pitcher Nicki Borgstadt and replace her with Ranta. However, before Ranta threw one pitch to a batter, Penn again opted for another pitching change. Before Marissa Brassfield threw a pitch, the umpires decided to call the game due to darkness, leaving the Leopards trailing, 7-6 with the bases loaded and nobody out.
Lauren Belowich took the loss for the Leopards, giving up eight hits and seven runs in five innings of work, while Borgstadt got the win for the Quakers, surrendering just three hits and four runs.
Lafayette (3-9) opens Patriot League play on Saturday when Army visits Metzgar Field for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
