By Maegan White
Elm Staff Writer
The Shorewomen softball team added four more wins to their record, putting the Shorewomen in second place in the Centennial Conference ranking.
The Shorewomen started the week by playing a doubleheader against the McDaniel College Green Terror. In the first game of the series, the Shorewomen won 19-6 in five innings.
In the first inning, the Shorewomen earned four runs, where two players were consecutively walked. Senior Lexi Witmer, freshman Gracelyn Goforth, and sophomore Chloe Trefz followed up, each earning one run batted in. The Green Terror responded with two unearned runs from two errors.
The Shorewomen held off the Green Terror for the next three innings and they would continue to advance their lead. In the second and third inning, the team earned eleven more runs thanks to RBIs from junior Lexi Barnhart, freshman Jenna Harper, and Brynn Balliet. Freshman Jules Weglarz ended the second inning with a three RBI double to right center.
In the fourth inning, Witmer hit a homerun with one runner on base advancing the Shorewomen’s lead to 17-2. At the top of the fifth Witmer earned another RBI along with freshman Mia Mavoides. The Green Terror Responded with four runs in the next two innings but were not able to cut down the lead enough.
The Shorewomen ended the game with a mercy rule call with a final score of 19-6.
The second game of the series the Shorewomen won 1-0 with the first and only run of the game coming from Trefz off a fielding error in the second inning. The team’s strong defense was essential to the shutout victory. Harper led the team’s defense with eigh putouts and one assist. Goforth and Witmer also each earned four putouts and assists.
On Sunday April 16, WC hosted Swarthmore College. In the first game, the team won 5-4 with a walk off run.
The Shorewomen earned the first four runs of the game in the first and third inning from RBIs by Trefz, Witmer, and Barnhart. Harper earned a homerun at her first at bat of the game.
Swarthmore tied the game at the top of the sixth earning three runs making the score 4-4. The first two Shorewomen batters in the seventh inning flied out. The next two batters were walked. With two runners on base and the game on the line, sophomore Lilly Cook hit a double advancing Goforth across the plate earning the team a walk off victory.
The Shorewomen ended their week with yet another Centennial Conference victory in their second game of the series against Swarthmore.
Swarthmore took an early lead, earning three runs before the Shorewomen got their first run on the board. In the bottom of the fourth, the Shorewomen earned their first run from an unearned RBI after the batter was hit with bases loaded.
The Shorewomen had a strong fifth inning earning three runs. Harper, Witmer, and sophomore Gen Kozub each earned an RBI.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Shoremen earned two more runs advancing the score to 6-3 with Weglarz scoring on a wild pitch and Vieria scoring from Harper’s sacrifice RBI.
The Shorewomen pitching team was instrumental in the four victories won over the week. Balliet played 10 innings earning four strikeouts and no walks. Barnhart played for nine innings and earned five strikeouts. Kozub played for three innings and earned four strikeouts.
Photo courtesy of WC Athletics
Photo Caption: Freshman Jenna Harper, who earned Shorewoman of the Week, during an at-bat.