March 29, 2003
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette softball team lost its Patriot League opening doubleheader to Army by scores of 4-2 and 7-1 on Saturday at Metzgar Field.
In game one, Army struck first with two runs in the top of the third inning. Nikki Posey and Lindsey Romack led off with back-to-back singles and then Lindsay March followed with a two-run single of her own to put the Black Knights ahead 2-0.
The Leopards countered with two runs in the bottom half of the third. Megan Longo blasted a double to leftfield and Danielle Bernotsky singled to put runners at second and third. Gianna Lopreato then beat out an infield hit to score Longo. Bernotsky scored the Leopards' second run on a wild pitch later that inning to tie the score at 2-2.
Army added an unearned run in the fourth when Darcy Wilson singled and later came around to score on an error, giving the Black Knights a 3-2 lead. Then in the fifth, Lauren Gobar had a base hit to start the inning and later scored on another wild pitch to give Army a 4-2 lead.
Ashlie Christian went the distance in picking up the win for Army, improving to 4-2 on the season. She allowed just four hits and two runs while striking out five. Jackie Fitzgerald went all seven for the Leopards and suffered the loss.
Bernotsky and Longo each finished 1-for-2 at the plate with a run scored, while Lopreato picked up the team's only RBI of the game.
Army (7-6, 2-0) jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap, notching one run in the first as Jaime Gjurgevich belted a double that scored March, who had singled.
The Black Knights got two more on the board in the third, as Romack singled and later scored on Gobar's triple to right-center. Lisa Huntington then lined a single to plate Gobar and give Army a 3-0 lead.
Each team scored one in the fifth, as Army tallied its run when Romack had a base hit, advanced on an error and scored on a wild pitch. For Lafayette, Mara Shainheit singled and Lauren Belowich found the gap with an RBI double, making the score 4-1.
Army got the run back in the sixth on an RBI single by Posey and then added two insurance runs in the seventh.
Leigh Harrell got the win for the Black Knights, scattering six hits and one run over six innings. Belowich took the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs in five innings while striking out four batters.
Tara Martinho led the Leopards at the plate in game two, finishing 2-for-3. Lopreato and Meghan Davis also added hits for Lafayette.
Lafayette (3-11, 0-2) and Army are scheduled to play another doubleheader on Sunday at Metzgar Field at 12 p.m.
