CHESTERTOWN, Md. – The Ursinus Softball team suffered a pair of losses to Washington College on Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference action. The Shorewomen shut out the Bears in both games, winning 7-0 in game one along with 2-0 in game two.
With the losses, the Bears fell to 14-13 overall and 2-6 in Centennial Conference action. Meanwhile, the Shorewomen improved to 12-11 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
GAME ONE
Washington College got on the board in the first inning with a deep single to right center with a runner on third base that began with a leadoff walk. After a wild pitch moved runners to second and third base, the Shorewomen got another single to drive in a second run to go up 2-0. The Bears got their first runner in scoring position in the third inning when senior Mackenzie Brennan advanced to third following a single and an error. Unfortunately for the Bears, a lineout to the circle in the next at-bat ended the inning. Washington College added a third run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning after a pair of singles led off the frame. The Bears left runners on first and second in the top half of the fourth and the Shorewomen pushed two more runs across with a pair of two-out singles to go up 5-0. Ursinus continued to struggle at the plate and Washington College tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth off a single and an executed double steal of home and second base. The Bears went down to end the game in the seventh.
GAME TWO
The Shorewomen scored a run once again in the first inning behind a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly to take the early lead just like in game one. Senior Julia Eckels got the Bears their first hit on a bunt with two outs in the third inning before a groundout ended the inning. Ursinus had a good chance to break through in the top of the fourth after loading the with two outs, but a groundout in the next at-bat ended the inning. The Bears got back-to-back singles to lead off the sixth inning from sophomores Sam Williams and Sara Sullivan with the score still at 1-0. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners over a base before Williams got tagged out at home trying to score on a ground ball to shortstop in the next at-bat. A walk loaded the bases with two outs and Washington College escaped potential trouble by forcing a groundout in the next at-bat. The Shorewomen loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth and a hit by pitch drove in the second run for Washington College. Junior Amanda Panati kept the Bears alive with a two-out double in the seventh, but a groundout to third sealed the win for the Shorewomen.
Williams led the Bears by going 4-of-7 from the plate between the two contests while Brennan went 2-for-3 in game one. Eckels and Sullivan each went 2-of-3 in game two while senior pitcher Kayla McTamney suffered the tough loss despite allowing just two earned runs on 10 hits in six innings. Lexi Barnhart earned the win for Washington College in game one as she allowed just five hits on four strikeouts and Gen Kozub followed in game two with her shutout despite allowing nine hits along with two walks.
The Bears return to action on Tuesday, April 19th as they will host Swarthmore for a Centennial Conference doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.