Softball Splits Doubleheader at Drew

MADISON, NJ- Juniata softball took on Drew in Landmark Conference action on Sunday afternoon. The Rangers won the first game of the doubleheader 4-3 in eight innings but Juniata was able to take the second game 4-1.

In Game 1, the Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Drew cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the third as Katie Grodski scored on a wild pitch.

The Rangers tied it at 2-all on Heather Ronchi's RBI single in the fifth inning. Juniata moved ahead in their portion of the sixth as Allie Baney (State College, Pa./State College) scored on a throwing error by Drew pitcher Bethany Budner.

JC held its lead into the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, Ronchi delivered again for the Rangers with a single up the middle to plate a run and the game went into an extra innings.

The Eagles went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth. The Rangers were down to their last out in the bottom of the inning and Phylicia Pellot delivered the walk off win with a RBI single off of Eagle pitcher Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleona).

Rachael Bernier (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) started and pitched six innings. She surrendered three runs on six hits, walked one batter, and struck out three. Lerchen came in for 1.2 innings and gave up one unearned run on five hits.

With a single in the seventh inning, Kerigan Ammerman (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) reached 100 hits for her career. She finished 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Jordan Wahrenberger (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) was 1-for-4 with a double and a run batted in. Abby Ebright (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) was 2-for-4 at the plate and walked once while also stealing one base.

Like Game 1, the Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first inning in Game 2. They would add to that lead in the third on an Ammerman RBI single. Another run scored in the fifth as Molly Ulrich (Homer, NY/Homer Central School) stole home.

Drew's lone run came on an one-out Ronchi RBI triple in the fifth. Juniata was able to prevent any attempt at a Ranger rally as reliever Kelsey Doell (Burlington, NJ/Doane Academy) induced two straight groundouts to end the inning.

Anna Baran (Tyrone, Pa./Tyrone) won her second game of the season as she went 4.1 innings giving up one run on four hits while walking three and striking out three. Doell picked up the save with 2.2 innings of one-hit relief.

Juniata (10-14, 3-3 LC) hosts Dickinson on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader at West End Field. Game 1 begins at 3:00 with the second game starting around 5:00 p.m.