MUNHALL, Pa. --
Rachel Johnson (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) totaled seven hits and
Kristen Fuertes (West Chester, Pa./West Chester) allowed just one earned run as the Washington & Jefferson College softball team split a Presidents' Athletic Conference road doubleheader against Chatham University on Saturday.
W&J rolled to a 10-3 victory in game one behind a 17-hit attack. The Presidents gained the early lead in game two but fell 4-2 to the Cougars in the season finale.
Game One Recap - W&J 10, Chatham 3
The W&J offense was too much for Chatham in the opener, as the visitors put together one of their best offensive performances of the season. The Presidents overcame an early 2-0 deficit with a powerful offensive showing in the middle innings.
Trailing by a pair,
Laura Ryder (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) slapped an RBI single to center field to score
Sarah Labbe (Belgrade, Maine/Messalonksee), cutting the Presidents deficit to 2-1 after three innings.
W&J secured the lead for good with four runs in the top of the fourth inning.
Lexie Creyer (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood), Johnson and
Brooke Stout (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area Senior) each collected run-scoring singles in the inning.
In the fifth inning, the Presidents tacked on five more runs to swell the advantage to 10-2.
Addy Helffrich (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) and Fuertes started the scoring in the frame with back-to-back RBI singles. After an RBI groundout by Creyer, Johnson laced an RBI double to bring home Fuertes before Stout followed with a run-scoring single to plate Johnson.
That was more than enough support for Fuertes, who allowed three runs (one earned) during her complete game effort. The righthander scattered six hits and struck out four Cougars in the victory. Fuertes finishes a strong junior season with an 11-8 record in the circle.
Johnson led the offense with a 4-for-5 performance out of the leadoff spot. The senior added two RBI and two runs scored during the win. Stout, Ryder, Helffrich and
Brooke Lapia (Oakdale, Pa./Chartiers Valley) added two hits each during the 17-hit attack.
Game Two Recap - Chatham 4, W&J 2
Stout slammed her first collegiate home run in the first inning of the nightcap to give W&J an early 1-0 lead. Chatham responded with a three-run double in the second inning to take a 3-1 advantage.
The score remained that way until the top of the sixth inning when Ryder led off with a double and promptly scored on an RBI single by Lapia. After a one-out single by Helffrich, W&J had runners at first and second. However, the Cougars worked out of the jam to maintain its slim lead. An unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning allowed Chatham to regain its two-run cushion at 4-2.
Down to their last three outs, the Presidents refused to quit, making things interesting with back-to-back singles by Labbe and Johnson to open the seventh. Unfortunately for the Presidents, the next three batters were retired to end the threat.
Johnson tallied three more hits in the nightcap, raising her batting average to a PAC leading .472 this season. The shortstop went 17-for-22 at the plate during her final six games as a President this week. Her .482 career batting average (119-for 247) establishes a new school record.
Alisha Kulka (Hanover, Pa./South Western) got the start in the circle, allowing three runs on two hits in her 2.2 innings of work. Fuertes covered the final 3.1 innings, allowing one unearned run on one hit.
W&J wraps up the 2019 season with a 7-9 mark in PAC play and a 17-21 record overall. Chatham concludes the year at 6-10 in league action and 12-20 overall.
