READING, Pa. – The Albright Lions softball team (2-2) split a doubleheader for the second consecutive day on Thursday with the Neumann Knights (8-4) at the Albright Softball Field in Reading.
The Lions took home game one by a 10-2 score in five innings and Neumann jumped out to an early lead en route to an 11-3 victory in six innings in game two.
Game One
Neumann had grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top half of the second before Albright answered right back with three runs of their own in the home half including a two-run blast off the bat of junior
Camille Sears. The home run was Sears' second of the season and came on the heels of a leadoff single from senior
Stephanie Pomante. Later in the inning, a pair of singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with two away before a passed ball charged to Knights catcher Kate Korte' allowed
Abigail Lord to scamper home as the go-ahead run.
The Lions broke the game open with another trio of runs in the third as Lord knocked in a run via an RBI single and senior
Kelly Cembrale came through with a two-run single to stretch the lead to 6-2. Lord and Sears delivered RBI singles as part of a three-run fourth to make it a 9-2 game in favor of the hosts. In the bottom of the fifth, junior
Brooke Yerger reached base with a one-out single, took third on a two base error and scored on senior
Stephany Courtney's RBI single to put the run rule in effect.
Sophomore
Lynsie Grant (2-0) gave up two runs on four hits to go along with one strikeout over five innings of work to earn her second win in as many days for the Lions.
Jen Sieminski (5-2) was dealt the loss for Neumann after allowing the 10 runs (nine earned) on 15 hits to go along with a walk and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 IP.
Lord (3-3, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Sears (3-3, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R) had three hits apiece to pace the Lions, while senior
Jordan Chell (2-3), Courtney (2-4, RBI, R) and Yerger (2-4, R) also had multi-hit games.
Game Two
Neumann jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with a four-run first as Jackie Schneider hit a two-run shot off the foul pole and Kierstin Fallers delivered a two-run single. The Lions would not go quietly however as Yerger reached on an error to start the bottom of the inning, took second on a sac bunt and scored on Sears' RBI single to cut the lead to 4-1.
Albright drew within a run in the third as a walk and a double put two runners on before Sears reached on an error charged to Neumann 3B Grace Sperrazza that brought home both runs.
A wild pitch allowed a run to score and extend the Knights' lead to 5-3 in the fifth before Fallers' two-run shot in the top of the sixth came as part of a six-run frame that put the run rule in effect at 11-3.
Sears (0-1) was dealt the loss on the mound after giving up seven runs on nine hits in five innings of work. Nicole Wisser (1-1) did not allow an earned run and surrendered three hits in 6.0 IP to get the win for Neumann.
Chell, Courtney and Sears all recorded hits in the game for the Lions, while junior
Jessica Rodriguez drew a pair of walks and scored a run.
Albright heads to Florida to play in The Spring Games beginning on Sunday, March 17. The Lions will battle College of Staten Island at 9:45 a.m. and Western New England at 12 p.m.
