MADISON, N.J.- Lindsey Kosicki's (Patton, Pa/Cambria Heights) two-out single in the seventh inning scored two runs and gave Juniata softball a 6-4 win over Drew for its first Landmark win of the season in the first game of a doubleheader. The contest was pushed back two hours because of weather.
The Rangers led 2-0 after the first inning of play. The Eagles got a run back as Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleona) delivered a double to left field to score Kosicki and make it 2-1.
Drew added another pair of runs to increase its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second. JC was able to close the deficit in the top of the fourth inning with two runs and the score stood at 4-3.
In the following inning, Allie Baney (State College, Pa./State College) led off with a bunt and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. A Jennifer Carthew (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) groundout advanced Baney to third. Kerrigan Ammerman (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) flied out to right field. Kosicki stepped to the plate and hit a single through the left side of the infield to score Baney and tie the game up at 4-4.
In the JC seventh, Abby Ebright (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) singled to lead off. After Baney fouled out to right, Carthew reached on a fielder's choice that got Ebright out at second. Carthew moved to second on a passed ball. An Ammerman infield single put runners at the corners and Ammerman then stole second. Kosicki laced a single through the right side of the field to bring in the winning runs.
Lerchen went seven innings and gave four runs (three earned) walked one batter and struck out one. She held the Rangers scoreless for the last five innings of play.
Kosicki finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored and three runs batted in. Baney was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.
In the second game, Juniata led 2-0 after the second inning but Drew scored once in the third and twice in the fourth to come away with a 4-3 win in six innings. The game was called early because of darkness.
Like the first game, Lerchen started the scoring for the Eagles as she laced a double down the left field line to plate two runs. Drew got one run back in the third to make it 2-1.
The Rangers moved ahead 4-2 with a three-run fourth inning. The Eagles mounted a comeback in the sixth. Baney led off with a double to right centerfield. Ebright flied out to center. Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) singled to move Baney to third. Kosicki flied out to center to score Baney. Paige Dennison (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) followed with a single to center but the rally ended as Lerchen grounded out.
Dennison's hit was significant as it was the 100th of her career. She becomes the 10th player in the 34-year history of the program to accomplish the feat.
Sarah Sotelo (Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic HS) pitched 3.2 innings and gave up six hits, four runs (one earned), four walks, and struck out three. Maddie Garrick (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) came in relief for 2.1 innings and limited the Rangers to two hits while walking one.
Bettinger had two hits for JC. Lerchen, Baney, and Dennison were all 1-for-3.
Juniata returns to West End Field this Tuesday when it hosts Penn State Harrisburg in a doubleheader. Game one begins at 3:00 p.m. with the second game following at 5:00 p.m.
