BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The No. 14 Moravian College softball team swept its seventh straight doubleheader by defeating visiting Rutgers-Camden, 2-1 in a seventh-inning walk-off and 5-3, in non-conference action at Blue & Grey Field Thursday afternoon.
The Greyhounds, now 21-3 overall this spring, the 26th straight 20-win season for the program under the direction of 26-year Head Coach John Byrne, had seven hits in the opening game with freshman pitcher Alexandria Scheeler going 2-for-3. Senior left fielder Kat Spilman connected on her second home run of the year while freshman Cameron Cassidy added an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh for the walk-off victory.
Scheeler made the start in the circle in the opener and improved to 9-0 on the year as she allowed a run on five hits to go with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Scarlet Raptors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
The Blue and Grey got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning when Spilman connected on a solo home run to left field to knot the score at 1-1. It was Spilman's 22nd homer of her career.
Sophomore shortstop Maddisen Bieber led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and senior Ashley Gindle came on to pinch run. Junior first baseman Lauren Goetz put down a sacrifice bunt to move Gindle into scoring position for Cassidy. Cassidy ripped a 2-2 pitch right back up the middle and Gindle's slide just beat the tag on the throw in from center field to end the contest.
Moravian had 12 hits in the second game with Spilman, Scheeler and sophomore second baseman Shannon Brogan each going 2-for-3. Bieber was 2-for-4 with an RBI while Spilman and Scheeler also had one RBI apiece.
Junior Paige Lesher started in the circle for the Blue and Grey and improved to 11-1 as she allowed three runs, just one earned, on six hits and a walk to go with two strikeouts.
The Greyhounds struck for two runs in the bottom of the first inning in the second game to start the scoring. Junior right fielder Emily Stanilious drew a one-out walk and Spilman followed with a single. After a sacrifice bunt from Brogan, Scheeler connected on an RBI single through the left side score Stanilious, and senior third baseman Madison Shaneberger hit an RBI single to left field that brought in Spilman.
The Scarlet Raptors answered with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second inning to tie the contest at 2-2.
Moravian moved back in front with a run in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead. The Hounds loaded the bases on a single by Brogan, a fielder's choice from Scheeler and a walk by Shaneberger before Bieber connected on an RBI infield single to the hole at shortstop as Brogan raced home.
The Hounds added a run to push the edge to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth frame. Sophomore catcher Brooke Wehr reached on a bunt single and would score on a two-out RBI single by Spilman.
Rutgers-Camden scored a run in the top of the fifth to pull within 4-3.
The Greyhounds loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with no outs on singles by Bieber and Goetz and an error that put Cassidy on base. Wehr was hit by a pitch to push Bieber across the plate for a 5-3 lead, but the Blue and Grey would get not score again while leaving a total of 12 runners on base during the contest.
Moravian is scheduled to return to action on Sunday, April 7 in a Landmark Conference doubleheader at The University of Scranton beginning at 1:00 p.m.
