March 2, 2008
Box Score -- Game 1 | Box Score -- Game 2
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Lafayette softball team opened the season at Warren Field on Sunday afternoon with a 4-3 loss in the first game (11 innings). The Leopards bounced back with a 1-0 victory in the second game that was shortened to five innings due to darkness.
Junior centerfielder Emma Kline homered to left center in the seventh inning to pull Lafayette ahead 3-2 in the first game. Penn's Anna Puglisi scored in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Senior Kristin Ruckno scores rookie Stacey Kushner with an RBI single in the fourth inning to win the second game 1-0.
Ali Henry gets first collegiate win in her first start in the circle as a Leopard (1-1) in the second game. Kushner scores off of Ruckno's single in the fourth inning to win the game 1-0. Henry allowed just two hits in 4.2 innings pitched with 17 Quakers coming to bat.
The second game was called midway through the sixth inning due to darkness and although Lafayette scored two runs in the top of the sixth, the score remains 1-0 for the victory.
In the first game, sophomore Kasey Karr started for Lafayette and pitched 10.2 innings. Karr hit a homer into left center in the second inning to give the Leopards an early 1-0 lead over Penn. The Quakers (1-1) responded with a two run third inning to take the 2-1 advantage with Annie Kinsey and Diana Ark both scoring.
Lafayette went hitless in the top of the fourth still behind by one run (2-1). Karr struck out Penn's third batter, Alisha Prystowksy to close the fourth without allowing a single hit in two innings.
Senior Sarah Price tied the game 2-2 at the top of the fifth with a homer down the left field line. With Penn's Christina Khosravi in position to score from third base in the bottom of the sixth, Karr struck out Susan Miller to keep the game tied at two runs apiece.
Kline's homer in the top of the seventh gave Lafayette the late 3-2 advantage. Kline went 2-for-4 in the first game for the Leopards. Puglisi scored on an error in the seventh to force extra innings. Ark scored the game-winning run off a Khosravi single in the bottom of the 11th inning to win it 4-3.
The Leopards continue the season on the road, participating in the Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C. Lafayette is set to play James Madison and Princeton on March 7 and are scheduled to face South Carolina Upstate and North Carolina on March 8. The invitational finals take place on Sunday, March 9.
