Walter Steals Home for WC in Game Two

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- Visiting 21st-ranked Salisbury University posted a pair of victories against host Washington College in a non-conference softball double-header on Sunday afternoon at the Washington College Softball Field. The Sea Gulls (13-2) took game one, 12-1, and won game two in six innings, 11-1, due to the eight-run rule.

In game one, Salisbury took advantage of a Washington error to plate two runs with two outs. Rachel Hastings singled to center to drive in Kristin Lord and Hastings would reach home on a double by Kelly Waskewicz. The Sea Gulls added a run in the top of the fifth on a RBI single by Jen Cahall to brought in Lauren Brenneman to make it 3-0. In the top of the sixth, Brenneman hit a two-run double and scored on a single by Ali Ritter as Salisbury added three more to take a 6-0 lead.

Washington got on the board in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore Jordan Tryhubenko (Cockeysville, MD/Dulaney) singled in freshman Laura Wagoner (Phoenixville, PA/Agnes Irwin School) to cut the guests' lead to 6-1. Salisbury would come back and score six runs in the top of the seventh to provide the final margin.

Hastings was 4-for-4 with three runs scored in the first game and Brenneman, Cahall, Ritter and Brittany Lounge all tallied three hits each and the Sea Gulls churned out 19 hits in the opener. Cahall knocked in three runs, while Brenneman and Michelle Gravdahl both netted two RBI. Brenneman and Lounge both scored two runs each. Kelly Leary recorded the win in the circle to improve to 7-0. She scattered two hits, allowed just one earned run, walked one and struck out 10.

For Washington, Wagoner reached base twice, once on a hit and she recorded the Shorewomen's lone walk. Sophomore Meaghan Kimme (Lumberton, NJ/Holy Cross) took the loss and falls to 3-2.

In game two, the Shorewomen took a 1-0 in the bottom of the third on a steal of home by freshman Brittany Walter (Forest Hill, MD/C. Milton Wright). With Walter on third and sophomore Leigh Carbutt (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) on first, Carbutt went to steal second and got caught in a run down. Carbutt managed to avoid the tag by Salisbury to get back to first base and during the run down Walter crossed home plate to put WC up 1-0. Salisbury tied it in the top of the fifth at 1-1 when Carly Read tripled to right-center to chase in Gravdahl from second base.

The Sea Gulls took control of the second game with a 10-run top of the sixth as the first 12 batters reached base. Waskewicz scored the game-winning run as she beat the throw to the plate and the ball proceeded to the backstop allowing Lounge to score to make it 3-1. Salisbury then got consecutive RBI hits by Cahall, Gravdahl, Lord, Read and Hastings to make it 8-1. Waskewicz knocked in two to make it 10-1 and Lounge capped the scoring on a RBI double.

Erika Brittingham got the win in the circle for Salisbury in game two as she allowed just one run on three hits in five innings and punched out six Shorewomen. She is now 6-0 this season. At the plate, Lounge, Gravdahl and Read each had two hits with Read and Waskewicz driving in two. Gravdahl and Waskewicz scored two runs each.

For Washington, Walter, Carbutt and freshman Shaelan Nottingham (Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur) each tallied one hit. Walter took the loss pitching wise for WC and falls to 2-4.

The Shorewomen return to action Thursday with a 3:00 p.m. two-fer at Delmarva foe Wesley.