Softball Closes out 2015 Season at Pitt-Bradford

BRADFORD, PA- The Juniata softball team ended its 2015 season on the road against Pitt-Bradford. The Panthers held off the Eagles 3-2 in the first game and also won 13-6 in the nightcap.

Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, PA/Annville-Cleona) was the starting pitcher in Game 1 and gave up seven hits, three earned runs, walked one, and struck out two. Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) smacked her team-leading fifth homerun in the fourth inning to account for the Eagles' runs.

The Panthers led 1-0 in the second inning on a Leann Bell solo home run. Pitt-Bradford added two runs in the third inning to go up 3-0.

In the Juniata fourth, Kerigan Ammerman (Alexandria, PA/Juniata Valley) led off with a single. Bettinger followed with her homer to center to get Juniata back in it. Katie Schroeder (Kempton, PA/Kutztown) and Alicia Regnault (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) followed with singles to put runners on first and second with no outs. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Brooke Ridenour (Thurmont, MD/Catoctin) flied out to centerfield and Schroeder looked like she tagged up to score the tying run, but on appeal it was determined that she left early and instead it was a double play. Lindsey Kosicki (Patton, PA/Cambria Heights) flied out to end the inning.

Lerchen gave up only two hits the rest of the game to keep the score close. The Eagle offense could not back her up as the score remained 3-2 in Pitt-Bradford's favor.

Schroeder accounted for three of Juniata's six hits and went 3-for-3 at the plate. Bettinger and Ammerman were both 1-for-3 with a run scored.

In the second game, Juniata led 3-0 in the first inning. The Panthers responded with a pair of runs to make the score 3-2.

Pitt-Bradford went ahead 5-3 with a three-run second inning. The Eagles made it a one-run game in the third but the Panthers put up seven runs to leap ahead 12-4.

Juniata halved its deficit with two scores in the fourth inning. Pitt-Bradford pushed a run across in the sixth. In the seventh inning, Ridenour led off with a single. Regnault got on a fielder's choice and Ridenour was called out at second. Kosicki struck out and Walls reached on a fielder's choice while Regnault was called out at second to end the game.

The Eagles totaled 14 hits in the second contest. Dennison was 3-for-4 with a double, a RBI, and two runs scored. Ridenour finished 3-for-4. Lerchen was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.