BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College softball team swept its fourth straight doubleheader, defeating visiting Penn State Berks, 3-0 and 4-3 in nine-innings, in non-conference action at Blue & Grey Field Tuesday afternoon.
The Greyhounds, now 15-3 on the season after extending their winning streak to 10 games overall, had eight hits in the opening contest with freshman pitcher Alexandria Scheeler and freshman center fielder Cameron Cassidy both going 2-for-3. Scheeler adding an RBI while sophomore shortstop Maddisen Bieber had a pair of RBIs on one hit.
Scheeler also made the start in the circle in the first game and improved to 6-0 with her first career shutout. Scheeler allowed a double on the opening batter of the game before setting down 20 batters in a row including one strikeout.
The Blue and Grey opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with three runs. Sophomore catcher Brooke Wehr, junior right fielder Emily Stanilious and senior designated player Kat Spilman all hit singles to load the bases with no outs, and Scheeler connected on a one-out single to bring Wehr with the first run of the afternoon. Bieber followed with a two-out, two-RBI single as Stanilious and Spilman crossed the plate.
Scheeler would do the rest in the circle while the Greyhounds had just one hit after the first inning.
Moravian recorded nine hits in the second game led by Stanilious going 3-for-4. Senior third baseman Madison Shaneberger was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the contest.
Junior Paige Lesher improved to 8-1 in the circle as she allowed three runs, just one earned, on seven hits and a walk to go with a pair of strikeouts.
The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning with back-to-back two-out hits.
The Blue and Grey answered with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth frame to take a 2-1 lead. Shaneberger singled and eventually scored on a two-out RBI single from junior first baseman Lauren Goetz while Bieber, who had reached on a fielder's choice, raced home on an RBI single from Cassidy.
Penn State Berks scored on an error in the top of the sixth to knot the score at 2-2.
The squads began the eighth inning with a runner on second base for the international tiebreaker, and the Lions scored to take a 3-2 lead. The Hounds started with sophomore second baseman Shannon Brogan on second base, and she scored on an infield single by Bieber to tie the contest again and force the ninth frame.
Moravian would not allow the Lions to score in the ninth. Senior pinch runner Julia DeMarco started the ninth on second base for the Hounds, and she moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Cassidy. DeMarco raced home with the winning run when Wehr reached on an error to end the game.
The Greyhounds are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, March 30 in a Landmark Conference doubleheader at Susquehanna University beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Selinsgrove.
