By Maegan White
Elm Staff Writer
On Sunday, April 2, the Shorewomen softball team competed against the Ursinus College Bears in their Centennial Conference opener. The team won both games making the Shorewomen’s records 9-13 overall and 2-0 in the Conference.
The Shorewomen took a definitive lead in the second inning. Senior catcher Lexie Witmer started off the inning with a double followed by a single from junior pitcher Lexi Barnhart and a walk from freshman Jenna Harper.
With bases loaded, the next batter was walked resulting in the first Shorewomen score of the game. Sophomore infielder Chloe Trefz then earned an RBI while at bat.
Bases remained loaded as senior outfielder Alyssa Vieira stepped into the box. She hit a double to right field resulting in three RBIs and advancing Washington College’s lead to five runs.
Ursinus earned their first point of the game in the second inning making the score 5-1.
In the fourth inning, Vieira earned another RBI after hitting a single to right field. In the seventh Harper earned her first RBI of the game advancing Barnhart across the home plate.
The Bears attempted a comeback from the six-point deficit in the fifth inning. In the fifth inning, the Bears earned three runs after two consecutive singles and a double from their first three at bats of the inning. The score at the end of the fifth was 7-4 with WC still in the lead.
The final run of the game came at the bottom of the seventh after the Bears were walked. WC held off the Bears attempted comeback and ended the first game of the series victorious with a score of 7-5.
Freshman pitcher Brynn Balliet pitched all seven innings for the Shorewomen allowing nine hits and five earned runs from Ursinus.
WC won the second game of the series 3-0. The Shorewomen earned their first run in the first inning from Vieira. Witmer’s single up the middle earned her an RBI and advanced Vieira over the home plate.
The Shorewomen did not score again until the fourth inning when freshman infielder Gracelyn Goforth hit a triple to right field. Freshman infielder Dee Raffaeli grounded out to the shortstop but advanced Goforth over the plate making the score 2-0.
WC earned the last run of the game in the sixth inning when Vieira scored on a passed ball. The game ended with victorious Shorewomen posting a score of 3-0.
Vieira had an outstanding offensive performance as she went six-for-eight at bat over both games earning four RBIs and three runs. The second game was pitched by Barnhart who only gave up six runs and no points scored.
The Shorewomen will play conference competitor Muhlenberg College at home on Saturday, April 8, at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.