COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - The Dickinson softball team ran into a hot-swinging and hot-pitching Ursinus College team on Saturday afternoon as they dropped a pair of games to the Bears 7-3 and 9-3 at the Snell Softball Field. With their two losses on the day the Red and White now find themselves in a massive cluster in the Centennial Conference standings with five teams all within one loss of conference leading Washington College.
Game One (Bears 7, DEVILS 3)
Records: Ursinus - 14-19, 6-5 Centennial | Dickinson - 10-16, 7-4 Centennial
Time of Game: 1:30
Pitching Decision: W - Christa Andrusiewicz (7-9) | L -
Abby Kohan (4-5)
Inside the Game
After a one-two-three top of the first for Andrusiewicz, the home side went to work against Kohan as three batters in the Bears had a 2-0 lead thanks to a single, RBI triple and sacrifice fly to right. Sara Sullivan then singled to right-center and stole two bases allowing a single for Rachel Hartman to drive her home. She would score on a Stephanie Wichman knock to center for a 4-0 edge through one. The two pitchers were dominant over the next two frames with both sides going "six up, six down". Following a quiet top of the fourth for Dickinson, Ursinus used a double and a pair of two-out singles for Samantha Mallen and Maddie Solow to extend their lead to 6-0 after four. Dickinson chipped into the deficit during the fifth as a single for
Zoe Kleeblatt led to an RBI two-bagger to center off the stick of
Erin McMahon (went to third on throw home).
Kaylie Renner then provided an RBI groundout making it 6-2. However, the Bears got one of the runs right back in the home-half thanks to three straight two-out singles. In the sixth, a UC miscue let Laia Gwathmey reach, before base hits by
Jessie Sandusky and
Eden Blanker filled the cushions with one down. Kleeblatt was then hit by the pitch to plate Gwathmey, but McMahon and Kohan were then retired to end the rally. The top of the seventh would see Dickinson put two on base, unfortunately, neither one of them would cross as
Jane Lloyd grounded out third for the final out of the game.
Devils Circle Report
Kohan suffered the loss allowing a dozen hits and seven runs over seven innings recording no strikeouts and two walks.
Game Two (Bears 9, DEVILS 3)
Records: Ursinus - 15-19, 7-5 Centennial | Dickinson - 10-17, 7-5 Centennial
Time of Game: 1:34
Pitching Decision: W - Miranda McIlvaine (5-6) | L -
Erin McMahon (3-4) | S - Riley Coneeny (3)
Inside the Game
Dickinson got off to a good start as with one out Lloyd reached on an error and Blanker singled to third putting two on with two away for McMahon. She smacked a single to right driving home Lloyd for the 1-0 edge. McMahon had a solid bottom of the first as she recorded two popouts and a groundout. However, the last of the second was when the Bears found their footing as a walk and an error tied the game. Two walks and a double filled the bags with two gone for Mallen who cleared the bases with a single up the middle. Two more singles in the frame resulted in two more coming home to hand the hosts a 6-1 advantage through two. The Red and White pulled one back in the ensuing inning as a walk to Lloyd led to her crossing the plate on an RBI knock for Kleeblatt. McMahon then settled in keeping the Bears off the board in the fifth, unfortunately her teammates were unable to get much going against McIlvaine as the game remained at 6-2 entering the top of the sixth. That was when Coneeny took over in the circle and immediately ran into some trouble as a walk to Kleeblatt and single from McMahon set the stage for an RBI knock off the bat of Kohan (6-3). Three straight groundouts ended the threat for DC as things shifted to the last of the sixth. Renner then went to the circle for DC and gave up two singles leading to one runner scoring. Later in the frame with two on and two out a wild pitch plated both to extend the gap to 9-3 heading to "last call" for the Devils. Coneeny would lock-up her save with a one-two-three top of the seventh.
Devils Circle Report
McMahon took the loss after tossing the first five innings allowing five hits and six runs to go along with three strikeouts and five walks. Renner lasted one frame giving up three hits and three runs.
The On-Deck Circle
Dickinson (10-17, 7-5 Centennial) enter the final week of the regular season in a huge cluster within the Centennial Conference standings and have the opportunity to end up anywhere from the one seed to out of the playoffs. The Red and White will begin their quest for a berth in the tournament on Tuesday afternoon at 3pm when they head to Westminster, Maryland for a conference DH against McDaniel College.
