SOFTBALL HITS THREE HR'S TO BLAST PAST ELIZABETHTOWN, 11-6

LEESBURG, Fla. – Emmanuel College belted three home runs to power past Elizabethtown College, 11-6, Wednesday morning in Day 3 softball action at the NTC Spring Games at Sleepy Hollow Park. EC improves to 2-3 on the year while the loss dips the Blue Jays to 3-4 overall.

The Saints got off to a quick start taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Freshman second baseman Sydney Rogers (Southwick, Mass.) and sophomore catcher Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) singled moving into scoring position on a wild pitch. Sophomore designated player Ashley Skey (Brookline, N.H.) blooped a single to right to plate Rogers to give EC the early lead.

The Blue Jays answered right away in the bottom half of the first with a leadoff homer to centerfield by sophomore centerfielder Mara Rhodes (Reedsville, Pa.) to tie it up at 1-1 and then two batters later, sophomore Emma Varrato (Allentown, Pa.) blasted another solo shot to right-center to give Elizabethtown a 2-1 lead.

EC senior first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) blasted a three-run shot in the top of the third inning to put the Saints on top for good at 4-2.

In fourth, Emmanuel freshman shortstop Kerry Sendrick (Medway, Mass.) connected on her first career home run on her birthday with a two-run bomb over the right field fence to make it 6-2.

Emmanuel tacked on two unearned runs in the fifth to bump its lead to 8-2 but the Blue Jays got them right back and more with four runs in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 8-6. The big blow came on a two-run homer to right by Varrato, her second blast of the game to make it a two-run game.

Skey made it a 10-6 game, driving in Sheehan with a monster two-run shot to centerfield in the top of the sixth inning. EC scored again in the seventh on an RBI single up the middle by Sheehan to account for the 11-6 final.

Skey finished the game going 3-for-4 with three RBI, Sendrick added a 2-for-4 outing with three RBI while Sheehan chipped in with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate with one RBI.

Varrato paced ETown with a 3-for-4 game with three RBI and two home runs.

EC senior Jill Killcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) went the distance for the win to move to 1-1 on the year tossing seven innings and allowing six runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out three. Sophomore Amber Sergas (Royersford, Pa.) suffered the loss to fall to 1-2 on the year.

The Saints return to action later this morning for a 10:45 AM contest against Wheaton (Ill.) while Elizabethtown takes on Heidelberg.