SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The University of Scranton softball team (14-8, 1-5 Landmark) dropped a pair of contests to the Susquehanna River Hawks (11-15, 4-6 Landmark) in conference doubleheader action on Saturday afternoon at Sassafras Softball Field in Selinsgrove.
The Royals dropped a 9-0 decision in game one and a close 7-5 decision in the nightcap.
Susquehanna 9, Scranton 0 (F/6)
Game one was scoreless until the bottom of the third when the River Hawks got on the board and they then went on to score in each of the next four innings as part of the 9-0 win.
Brianna Jones gave Susquehanna the lead with an RBI single in the third and the hosts added two runs in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Freshman Juliana Janezic (Southington, Conn./Cheshire Academy) was dealt the loss in the circle for the Royals as she allowed three runs on five hits while walking one over 4.0 IP.
Jones scattered three hits and struck out four over six scoreless frames to earn the win for the River Hawks.
Susquehanna 7, Scranton 5
Scranton grabbed a 5-4 advantage with a four-run sixth inning, but Susquehanna was able to answer with three runs in the home half and held on for the 7-5 victory.
Susquehanna held a 4-1 lead after five innings before sophomore Kylie Rochford (Tinton Falls, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) knocked in a pair with a two-run double, freshman Celia Totaro (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) added an RBI single and senior Sarah Stepnowski (Monroe Twp., N.J./Monroe) followed with an RBI triple to give the Royals the 5-4 edge for the time being.
Nicole Wuertz tied the game for the hosts with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame and Jones had a go-ahead RBI single.
Sophomore Soleil Dooner (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) was charged with the loss for Scranton as she gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits to go along with a walk and a strikeout in 2 2/3 IP.
Dooner came on in relief of fellow sophomore Carley Noble (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) who got the start and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and walked one in 3 1/3 IP.
Jones got the win for the River Hawks as she allowed an unearned run on two hits and fanned one in 1 2/3 IP of relief.
Stepnowski (3-3, 2 3B, RBI, R) had two triples in the contest and now has nine on the year, breaking the program's single-season record of eight that had been shared by Chris Sokolowski and Keri Wellard since 1995.
Rochford and senior Jessica Stadler (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) added two hits apiece.
The Royals will head to Washington, D.C. to take on Catholic on Sunday afternoon in a Landmark doubleheader with first pitch of game one set for 1 p.m.
--ROYALS--
