Keli Krause vs Lancaster Bible 041515
3
Winner Elizabethtown ETWN-S 14-23
1
Susquehanna SUSSB 30-6
Winner
Elizabethtown ETWN-S
14-23
3
Final
1
Susquehanna SUSSB
30-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Elizabethtown ETWN-S 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 10 1
Susquehanna SUSSB 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 1

W: Krause, Keli (6-8) L: Jamie Fesinstine (14-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

Krause shuts down top-seed Susquehanna in Jays' win

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — It was going to be a monumental task for the Elizabethtown College softball team to upset top-seeded Susquehanna Friday morning in the opener of the Landmark Conference playoffs. Despite not having the odds in their favor, E-town pulled off the upset with a 3-1 win over the Crusaders, led by starting pitcher Keli Krause, who four-hit the hosts to win her sixth game of the year and snap the Blue Jays' winless streak.

Both teams had runners in scoring position through the first four innings, but were only a combined 1-for-17. Elizabethtown (14-23) had that one hit and Jessica White made it count. A strikeout victim her first time at the plate Friday, White came through for the Jays with a two-out RBI single to left field in the third inning to put E-town on top 1-0. Krause had led off the inning with a single through the left side. Becky Becher followed with a bloop single over second to put the first two runners on. E-town was 0-for-6 with RISP up to White's base hit.

Susquehanna (30-6) had a hard time figuring out Krause. The Crusaders had runners on first and second in the bottom of the first and threatened to take an early lead, but Krause got Lauren Creamer, the Landmark's all-conference First Team Designated Player, to strike out swinging to end the inning. Krause avoided another potential run-scoring threat from Susquehanna in the second by getting her second straight inning-ending strikeout.

The Blue Jays left a total of ten runners on base over seven innings, which allowed the Crusaders to stay in the game despite Krause's mastery on the mound. Susquehanna had its leadoff hitter on second in the fourth, but two swinging strikeouts and a fly out to Kaylee Werner ended any chance of a run for the hosts, who at that point were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Krause retired the side in order two innings in a row, the fifth and sixth, and had retired ten batters in a row going in the bottom of the seventh.

E-town was 3-for-15 by game's end with players in position to score, and that third hit proved to be vital. Jordan Nowacki took her place in the batter's box with the bases loaded. Becher, Payton Marunich, and White each occupied a base with two outs in the top of the seventh. Nowacki dropped a single in down the right field line, scoring Becher and Marunich to provide a bit of breathing room for the Jays.

Susquehanna managed to break up the shutout bid by Krause, getting a two-out RBI single from Brianna Murphy to make it 3-1, but Krause got the final out of the game on a pop up to Kirstin Blass, who squeezed the ball in her mitt to record the third out.

Eight different batters had hits for the Blue Jays, led by a 3-for-4 effort from White. Becher, Blass, Marunich, Werner, Nowacki, Krause, and Laura Tomasetti had one hit each. Krause pitched all seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and fanning seven.

The softball team will play the winner of Moravian/Catholic this afternoon at 3 p.m. with a chance of advancing to tomorrow's Landmark Conference Championship.
 
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