LHU’s Season Ends Losing Epic 2-1Battle
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Lock Haven University softball team (36-19) went 0-2 today in Atlantic 2 Regional play and the Bald Eagles were eliminated from the 2016 NCAA Division II Tournament.
Today’s losses to No. 2 seed Charleston and No. 3 seed West Chester ended the Bald Eagles season.
LHU fell to Charleston, 2-1 in a marathon-game that started last night. The loss pushed Lock Haven into the elimination game immediately thereafter with West Chester and the Golden Rams came out on top, 6-1.
The Bald Eagles finished the season at 36-19, the most wins for the team in a single-season since 2009. It marked LHU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013.
Charleston 2 – Lock Haven 1 (13 innings)
Charleston’s Laura Ashlock hit a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the 13th inning, which gave No. 2 seed Golden Eagles the thrilling win and ended an epic NCAA Tournament battle that stretched over two days.
The game marked the 2016 NCAA Tournament opener for both teams and was originally scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Thursday, but was pushed back to a 7:30 p.m. start last night. Just before midnight yesterday, the game was suspended because of heavy rain and field conditions in the top of the 10thinning with both teams scoreless.
When the game was suspended, each team had just three hits and both teams had the bases loaded in the ninth.
The game picked back up today at 10 a.m. and once again it quickly became a pitcher’s duel until both teams got the offense going in the 12th. The two teams exchanged runs in the 12th and went to the 13th inning tied 1-1, which set things up for Ashlock’s dramatic game-winning homer.
Bekah Slattery (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) was fantastic and defined “tough-luck loser,” today after going 12 innings. She struck out a career-high 12.
McKenna Garlock’s (Three Springs, Pa./Southern Huntingdon) two-out single up the middle in the 12thscored Faith Ceely (Troy, Pa./Troy), but UC answered in the bottom of the 12th.
All-Region performer Michelle Holweger (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) had a pair of hits for LHU.
The loss to Charleston pushed Lock Haven into the elimination game vs. West Chester.
West Chester 6 – Lock Haven 1 (*Lock Haven eliminated)
The game proved to be another tight battle, and Lock Haven and West Chester were tied 1-1 after five innings.
The Golden Rams broke it open in the top half of the sixth with a three-run inning. Cat Hammer sparked the inning with a two-run home run. WCU tacked on two more in the seventh.
Slattery got the nod again and went six innings. She struck out four.
Holweger drove in LHU’s only run in the third on an infield-single.
Jodi Weaknecht (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) was 2 for 3 at the plate.
