WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College softball team battled to a split of Wednesday's Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader with Bethany College at Brooks Park. The Presidents used a strong offensive performance to claim a 13-5 game one victory in six innings. However, Bethany responded to secure a 7-4 win in game two of the twinbill.
The split moves W&J to 4-2 in the PAC and 13-13 overall. Bethany moves to 2-4 in the league and 4-16 overall in 2019.
Game One Recap - W&J 13, Bethany 5 (6 Innings)
After the Bison gained an early lead in game one,
Rachel Johnson (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) led off with a double and scored on an RBI groundout by
Brooke Stout (Berwick Pa./Berwick Area Senior), helping the Presidents tie the score at 1-1 after one.
Stout gave W&J the lead with a two-run triple in the third inning, plating
Taylor Andres (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) and
Laura Ryder (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny).
Addy Helffrich (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) tacked on an RBI single to score Stout to extend the lead to 4-1.
The Presidents would strike for four more runs in the fourth inning to make the score 8-2. Andres produced an RBI single before Ryder followed with an RBI groundout.
Brooke Lapia (Oakdale, Pa./Chartiers Valley) then continued her hot streak with a two-run double to bring home Johnson and Ryder.
Bethany would continue to battle back, tallying three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Bison brought the potential tying run to the plate but Andres escaped without further damage.
W&J would put the game away with five runs in the sixth inning to enforce the mercy rule. Andres starting things off by herself with a two-run single. The next two W&J runs crossed with help from a shaky Bethany defense. With the bases full and no outs,
Brooke McCleester (Johnstown, Pa./Conemaugh Valley) then ended the game early with an RBI single to close the score at 13-5.
Andres picked up the victory in the circle, working all 6.0 innings to improve her record to 6-7. The senior also got the job done at the plate, going 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored. Johnson went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs scored to spark the offense in the opener.
Brooke Shuck (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) made the most of her starting opportunity, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Game Two Recap - Bethany 7, W&J 4
W&J help spot Bethany an early lead in the nightcap, as the hosts committed two errors to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead. The Presidents would get one back in the third inning, when Johnson recorded her third double of the day and scored on a RBI single by
Sarah Labbe (Belgrade, Maine/Messalonksee).
The Bison would stretch their advantage to 5-1 with three runs in the fourth inning, which included a two-run home run. The Presidents refused to go down without a fight, as the home team put together a rally. Stout smacked her second two-run triple of the day, bringing home Johnson and Ryder with the two-out hit. Lapia followed with a RBI single to narrow the deficit to 5-4.
However, Bethany responded with two insurance runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. The game two loss snapped W&J's seven-game home winning streak.
Lapia registered two hits while Ryder reached base three times to lead the offense in game two.
Kristen Fuertes (West Chester, Pa./West Chester) took the loss in the circle, which ended her personal four-game winning streak.
W&J hosts Westminster College for a PAC doubleheader on Saturday, April 13. Start time is set for 1 p.m. at Brooks Park. The Presidents will honor Andres and Johnson for Senior Day prior to the start of the contest with the Titans.
