Cooper Homers In Both Ends of Twinbill

ALLENTOWN, PA – Visiting Washington College and host Muhlenberg split a Centennial Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Cedarcreek Field.  The Mules won the first game by a 10-3 score, but the Shorewomen responded with a 7-6 victory in game two.  The Shorewomen are now 13-10 overall and 5-1 in conference play, while the Mules are now 8-10 and 3-1 respectively.  WC is off to its best start in Centennial play since starting 6-1 in 1997.

In game two, WC scored three times to take a quick 3-0 lead after the top of the first.  Sophomore Lauren Dockrill (San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic) scored on a two-base hit down the right field line by sophomore Kylie Nottingham (Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur) for the game's first run.  Kylie Nottingham scored on an error to make it 2-0 and freshman Suzanne Patinella (Fallston, MD/Maryvale Prep) scored on a freshman Kristin Cooper (Georgetown, DE/Sussex Central) double to right for the third run.

Muhlenberg got one in the bottom of the second when Kerry Kline scored on a one-out double down the left field line off the bat of Devon Barber.  In the last of the fourth, Kline scored on an RBI groundout to shortstop off the bat of Jamie Klotz to trim the WC lead to 3-2.

The Shorewomen took a 6-2 lead in the top of the fifth when Cooper launched her second home run of the doubleheader, and fifth of the year, on a three-run homer to centerfield with one out that plated both Dockrill and Patinella. 

The Mules scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 6-6.  Klotz drew a bases loaded walk to score Kline to make it 6-3 and then Shelby Smith delivered a two-run, pinch-hit single up the middle to score Barber and Chelsea Benjamin to trim the lead to just one run with one out.  The Mules tied the game with a two-out single to right by Erica Wenzel that scored Klotz to tie the game at 6-6.  On the same play, Smith tried to score the go ahead run, but she was thrown out at the plate on a throw from right by freshman Christine Anderson (Palmer, CO/Lewis-Palmer) and Kylie Nottingham applied the tag at the dish to keep the game tied.

In the top of the seventh, Patinella singled with one out and moved to second on a groundout.  With two away, junior Lindsey Glascock (Glenwood, MD/Glenelg) singled to left field and drove in Patinella to put Washington back up 7-6.  In the last of the seventh, the Mules had runners at first and second with two outs and Brittany Blohm at the plate.  Blohm worked the count to 3-2 and then proceeded to foul off six Cooper pitches, but Cooper got Blohm to strikeout swinging to end the game and allowed WC to split the twinbill.

For WC in game two, Cooper went 2-for-4 with a game-best four RBI which ties her career-high, while Patinella went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, tying for the game-high.  Dockrill scored twice and senior Sally Snover (Charlotte, NC/Myers Park) went 3-for-3.  In the circle, Cooper got the win and improves to 6-2.  She pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, but no runs.  She walked two and struck out two.

For Muhlenberg in the second contest, Klotz and Smith both drove in a pair of runs, while Kline tied for tops in the game with three runs.  In the circle, Heather Porrini takes the loss in relief and drops to 2-2.  She tossed 2 2/3 innings, giving up the game-winning run in the seventh as the only run she allowed. 

In game one, Washington took the lead at 1-0 in the top of the second inning when Patinella doubled to center to lead off the frame and scored on a two-bagger to left-center by Cooper.

The lead would only last to the bottom of the third when Kline socked a three-run home run with two away over the centerfield fence to give the host Mules a 3-1 lead.  However in the top of the fourth, the Shorewomen countered with a two-run homer by Cooper to left that also scored Patinella to level the game at 3-3. 

In the last of the fourth, Jessica Costa doubled to left-center to drive in two to put the Mules up for good at 5-3 with one out and she came around to score on a double to center by Wenzel to give Muhlenberg a 6-3 lead after four innings.

The Shorewomen loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fifth, but failed to score. 

In the last of the fifth, Kline scored on a double steal and Barber scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Klotz to put Muhlenberg up 8-3.  In the bottom of the sixth, Benjamin walked with the bases loaded and scored Alyssa Schell to make it 9-3 and Barber walked to score Colleen O'Donnell to make it 10-3.

For Muhlenberg in game one, Kelsey Jones went the distance in the circle to pick up the win and improves to 3-5 on the year.  She struck out seven, allowed six hits and three earned runs while walking three.  At the dish, Kline was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.  Costa was 2-for-3 with two RBI, Wenzel was 2-for-4 and O'Donnell scored twice.  Muhlenberg had 10 hits in the opener.

For Washington, Cooper was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a home run, while Patinella scored twice.  In the circle, Cooper got the loss and falls to 5-2.  She allowed nine hits, eight runs, all earned in five innings.

Washington returns to action on Thursday afternoon when they travel to Ursinus for a 3:00 p.m. Centennial Conference twinbill.