(Carlisle, Pa.) – The Dickinson softball team split a double-header with Ursinus College to open the 2013 Centennial Conference season.
The Bears scored twice in the second and twice in the third, holding off a late rally in game one to win, 4-3. The Devils finished the job in game two, scoring twice in the seventh for a 4-3 win of their own.
The Bears capitalized on a Red Devil error to score twice in the second inning of game one. Kelly Schymanski made the score, 4-0, with a two-run homer in the third.
First-year Nicole Piet (Robbinsville, N.J./Robbinsville) put the Devils on the board with a solo shot in the fifth inning. The Red Devils tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Melissa Osborn (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) led-off the inning with a single and pinch-runner Stacie Maring (Woodbine, Md./South Carroll) scored on a double from Carly Jordan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee).
Becca Garlinger (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro) hit a sacrifice fly to score Jordan, pulling the Devils within a run, with two outs. Pinch-hitter Megan O'Neill (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) and Katie Swade (New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock) produced back-to-back singles before the Bears recorded the final out to secure the 4-3 win, 4-3.
Osborn went 3-for-3 at the plate while Chelsea Homa (Newton, N.J./Newton) recorded 10 strikeouts while allowing just two hits and two earned runs.
Schymanski put the Bears on the board in the game two, scoring on a double by Zoe Heinke after reaching on a single and stealing second. Osborn came around to answer in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. She reached on a walk and scored on a single from Garlinger.
Grace Edelson (Basking Ridge, N.J./Villa Walsh) reached on a single in the third and scored an unearned run on an RBI from Piet to put Dickinson up, 2-1.
Ursinus took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. The Bears capitalized on a pair of doubles and a Red Devil error to pull in front, 3-2.
Swade led-off the seventh inning with a double and immediately scored to tie the game as Casey Ditzler (Cleona, Pa./Annville-Cleona) doubled as well. Ditzler stole third and scored the game-winner on an RBI single from senior Denise Haines (Green Lane, Pa./St. Pius X) to give the Devils a split in the series.
Homa pitched again to earn the win, adding five strikeouts in game two. Ditzler and Edelson each went 2-for-3 in the nightcap while Swade added a pair of hits as well to lead the way offensively.
The Red Devils improved to 7-7 overall and 1-1 in the Centennial Conference opener. They are scheduled to travel to McDaniel College on Tuesday for a 3:00 pm double-header.
