Softball Rally Falls Short, Drop Two Against Susquehanna

By: Jennifer Jones
Director of Sports Information
jonesj@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – A late rally in game one was not enough to push Juniata College softball past Susquehanna University Saturday afternoon.  The Eagles dropped both games of their Landmark Conference doubleheader with the first place Crusaders, 6-4 and 10-1. 

Senior Rachel Smith (Martinsburg, Pa./Homeschooled) led the team with three hits on the day, while five others collected multiple hits as well. Freshman Lindsey Kosicki (Patton, Pa./Cambria Heights) hit her first collegiate grand slam in game one.

The Eagles broke their game one silence in the seventh.  Down 6-0, sophomore Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) led off the inning with a walk.  Susquehanna would get two batters out before starter Morgan Lewis hit the next.  Junior Katie Schroeder (Kempton, Pa./Kutztown) earned a walk to load the bases and bring Kosicki up to the plate. She crushed the ball over straightaway center field, scoring everyone and putting the Eagles within two. But the next batter grounded out to second to end the game.

The Crusaders used a big fourth inning to take a commanding lead in game two.  Down 7-0 with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, freshman Paige Dennison (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) hit a standup double to right center.  She sprinted around to score when freshman Allie Baney (State College, Pa./State College) singled to right center, ending the shutout.

Susquehanna extended its lead in the remaining innings to hold on for the win.

Juniata returns to action this coming Tuesday, April 22 in a doubleheader against Penn State Harrisburg.  The games are a makeup from last week.  The Eagles swept Harrisburg when they met last year, 11-5 and 11-6.  Juniata has won four straight against the Lions.

Senior Day
The Eagles recognized their three seniors between games one and two of the doubleheader. Lydia Gorba (Portage, Pa./Portage) has played in nearly 50 games over the course of her career and made over 25 appearances on the mound. The righty has split time between outfield and pitching.  This year, she pitched a career-long seven inning game against Elizabethtown.  Gorba plans on attending law school after graduating in the spring.

Dana Relation (Lyon Mountain, N.Y./Seton Catholic Central) has been a part of Juniata softball for four years, despite injuries sidelining her.  From her first collegiate hit against Penn State Harrisburg, to her last runner caught stealing against Penn State Altoona and beyond, she has been an integral member of the team.  Whether on the field, in the dugout, or in the press box, she has been more than a vocal supporter of her teammates.  Relation will graduate with a degree in mathematics this spring.

Smith has started every game of the college career.  A true utility, she has played every position on the field and has moved to wherever she was needed. Voted all-conference her sophomore year, this righty has over 115 games under her belt and has made over 20 appearances on the mound.   She will graduate with a degree in business management.

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