CHESTERTOWN, Md. – The Ursinus College softball picked up two key conference wins toward its playoff run as the Bears swept Washington College on the road.
Sitting in third place in the Centennial Conference, Ursinus (17-13-1, 7-4) received excellent complete game-pitching efforts and timely hitting in the twin bill. In Game 1, sophomore Heather Lazer drove in four of the Bears' seven runs on a 2-for-3 day. Her biggest hit was a two-run double to help the Bears regain a 3-2 lead in the third inning on the way to a 7-3 final.
Junior Jennifer Hammons (8-7) earned the win in Game 1. She pitched all seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits.
Coming off a shutout of 11th-ranked Moravian, freshman Kayla McTamney (4-2) shined on the mound in the closing game on her way to a four-hitter with no walks. She outdid 2016 Centennial Conference pitcher of the year and two-time All-Centennial Conference selection senior Maddie Bennett in a pitcher's duel that ended in a 3-0 Bears victory.
Breaking a scoreless tie in the seventh, senior Gabrielle Manto hit her first home run of the season to center field. Manto ignited a three-run frame in which freshman Mackenzie Brennan singled two more runs home for the Bears.
Game 1: Ursinus 7, Washington College 3
The Bears took down the Shorewomen in the opening game in large part to Lazer's big performance.
Lazer's two-run double in the third helped the Bears regain the lead at 3-2. She added a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a run-scoring infield single in the seventh to give Ursinus insurance runs.
Senior Kayla Quinn and sophomore Morgan Comfort each scored a pair of runs. Quinn finished 2-for-2 with a run batted in.
Senior Callie Crouse added two hits and a RBI. Sophomore Megan Hasulak and Brennan each crossed the plate once for the Bears.
Brennan's single to start the game came around to score when Quinn knocked her in.
A sacrifice fly to left gave the Shorewomen a 2-1 lead in the second before Lazer's two-run double got the Bears in front 3-2 in the third.
In the fifth, Ursinus plated two unearned runs to get breathing room at 5-2. Quinn scored on a throwing error and Lazer sent Manto home on her sacrifice fly to right field.
The Shorewomen singled in a run to make it 5-3 in the fifth.
In the seventh, Lazer and Crouse registered RBI hits to third base in order to score two more insurance runs.
Hammons was able to work around six free passes while striking out two. She also stranded two Shorewomen runners on base in the seventh.
Ursinus took advantage of the Shorewomen's three errors by scoring four unearned tallies.
Game 2: Ursinus 3, Washington College 0
McTamney dazzled Washington College's hitters all the way to the end.
The game featured one extra-base it –Manto's clutch seventh-inning bomb.
After Manto's homer, Lazer walked and freshman Ally St. Jean registered her third hit, part of a 3-for-3 game. Crouse then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Sophomore pinch-hitter Amanda Ladzinksi walked to fill the bases. Brennan came up big as she singled in two runs, moving Ursinus' lead to 3-0.
Washington College (10-24-1, 3-8-1) couldn't get much going against McTamney. The closest they came to scoring was in the sixth but the Bears denied them. To start the inning, Moery singled up the middle. She stole second, but was thrown out at third attempting to take the base on a pitch in the dirt. Ursinus catcher Ally St. Jean fired a strike down to third for Hasulak to make the tag and end a potential threat.
The Bears play a doubleheader Tuesday with CC leader Haverford.