2006 Softball Game Stories

• May 6, 2006: Lady Lions top Susquehanna 5-2 before falling to LVC 4-0
• May 5, 2006: Albright falls to Lebanon Valley 9-1 in Commonwealth Tournament opener
• April 29, 2006: Albright splits with Juniata, winning game two 3-0 after falling in game one 3-2
• April 27, 2006: Moravian sweeps Albright 2-0 and 7-1
• April 25, 2006: Albright and Susquehanna split a pair of 2-1 decisions
• April 20, 2006: Albright splits with F&M, winning game one 6-0, falling in game two 10-1
• April 18, 2006: Young leads Albright to a doubleheader sweep of LVC 3-0 and 3-2
• April 12, 2006: Ramapo sweeps a doubleheader from Albright 4-1 and 4-2
• April 9, 2006: Lady Lions sweep Widener 13-8 and 4-3
• April 6, 2006: Ursinus takes two from Albright 6-4 and 7-0
• April 3, 2006: Albright tops Etown 5-3 in replay of tied game March 14
• April 1, 2006: Lady Lions sweep conference foe Messiah 6-2 and 3-2
• March 29, 2006: DeSales sweeps a doubleheader from Albright 2-1 and 4-2
• March 22, 2006: Lady Lions fall to Southern Connecticut 3-0, beat Buffalo State 3-0
• March 20, 2006: Albright loses to Wisconsin-Superior 7-5, Wellesley 10-1
• March 19, 2006: Lions open Ft. Myers trip with a 10-1 win over Plymouth St; falls to Franklin Peirce 3-2
• March 14, 2006: Albright tops Etown 3-1 in game one; game two halted for darkness with the score tied at four
• March 4, 2006: Lady Lions drop games to Rowan, Methodist
• March 3, 2006: Albright falls to Oneonta, Virginia Wesleyan in Virginia Beach

May 6, 2006: Albright 5, Susquehanna 2; Lebanon Valley 4, Albright 0

Selinsgrove, PA - Albright defeated Susquehanna 5-2 in an elimination game of the Commonwealth Conference tournament Saturday morning, but later fell to Lebanon Valley 4-0 to finish in third place for the weekend. The Lady Lions see their season end with a 14-23 record on the season.

Facing the tall order of needing to win four straight games to capture the conference title, Albright got off to a rough start in the opener. Two errors, a hot batter, and a double led to a pair of unearned Susquehanna runs as the Crusaders jumped to a 2-0 lead. The Lady Lions had just two hits through the first three innings, but exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Ashley Young and Meridith Hippert opened the inning with back to back singles, and Meredith Mayes reached on an error to load the bases with no one out. Erica Romond then delivered an RBI single to cut Susquehanna's lead to 2-1. After a sacrifice fly from Alex Keyes and an infield pop-up, the score was tied at two with two on and two outs. Jennifer Lynch then drilled a two-run triple to put Albright on top. Stevie Crouse singled home Lynch to complete the scoring as Albright held a 5-2 lead heading to the fifth inning. That would be plenty of runs for Ashley Young, who allowed only one hit over the final three innings as Albright took the 5-2 win. Young allowed only three hits and the two unearned runs in the game, struck out 11, and walked just one. She was also 3-3 at the plate with a run scored, while Hippert and Crouse each had a pair of hits.

Game two saw Lebanon Valley's Jen Roberts stifle the Albright bat's for the second straight day. The Dutchmen scored a run in the first inning to lead 1-0, then plated three more runs in the bottom of the second to hold a 4-0 lead. Albright put one runner on base in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings but couldn't put anything together to sustain a rally. In the sixth, still trailing 4-0, Hippert and Mayes singled with two outs, but Roberts got Romond to fly out to end the inning. Again in the seventh Albright put two runners on with two outs, but Tara McMurtrie's line drive was speared by the LVC first baseman to end the game and Albright's title hopes. Mayes took the loss for the Lady Lions, allowing six hits and four runs in three innings of work. Crouse, Hippert, and Mayes each had two hits at the plate for Albright.

May 5, 2006: Lebanon Valley 9, Albright 1

Selinsgrove, PA - Lebanon Valley defeated Albright 9-1 in the opening round of the Commonwealth Conference Tournament Friday afternoon on the campus of Susquehanna University. The Lady Lions will face Susquehanna, a 2-1 loser to Moravian, in an elimination game Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

Albright scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second inning. With one out Meredith Mayes singled, and one out later scored when Alex Keyes blasted an RBI triple. The Lady Lions stranded Keyes at third, however, and their lead would be short lived. LVC came back with four runs in the top of the third, the bog blow coming on a bases-loaded triple from Jen Roberts that gave the Dutchmen a 4-1 lead. LVC added a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-1 lead an chase Albright starter Ashley Young. A three-run seventh inning gave Lebanon Valley a 9-1 edge as the Dutchmen finished off the opening round win. Albright was unable to muster much offense against Roberts, who surrendered just one run on five hits while striking out eight and not walking a batter. Young allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits over five innings of work in taking the loss.

April 29, 2006: Juniata 3, Albright 2; Albright 3, Juniata 0

Reading, PA - Albright and Juniata split a doubleheader on Saturday, with Juniata taking game one 3-2 before the Lions came back to win game two 3-0. Albright finishes 10-4 in the Commonwealth Conference and will be the #2 seed in the Commonwealth Conference tournament next Friday and Saturday at Susquehanna.

Albright took a 1-0 lead in the opener when Hillary Gary led off the bottom of the third with a double and one out later scored on Stevie Crouse's RBI ground out. Juniata did not pick up a hit in the game until the fourth inning, but tied the game in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by Liz Schmidt. The Eagles took the lead with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth to make the score 3-1. Albright got one run back in the bottom of the sixth when Meridith Hippert drilled a solo home run, her second of the season and school-record 12th of her career, to cut the Juniata lead to 3-2. The Lions could get no closer, however, as they went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to fall 3-2. Hippert and Gary were both 2-3 in the game while losing pitcher Ashley Young allowed just four hits and struck out 12 in the game.

Albright again jumped on top in game two, scoring twice in the second inning. After Hippert singled and Erica Romond reached on an error to put runners on second and third, Gary singled to score both runners and give Albright the early lead. Gary's big day continued in the fourth when she blasted her second home run of the season, a solo shot, to make the score 3-0. Juniata did not threaten until the seventh inning, when a hit batter and an error brought the tying run to the plate with no one out. Young responded with two straight strikeouts, then got the final out on a fly ball to end the game with her fourth shutout of the season. She allowed just two hits in the game and struck out nine to improve to 9-8 on the season. Gary was 2-3 with three RBI's, while Hippert and Young were also 2-3.

Albright will open the Commonwealth Conference tournament on Friday at 1:00 against #3 seed Lebanon Valley.

April 27, 2006: Moravian 2, Albright 0; Moravian 7, Albright 1

Reading, PA - In a battle for first place in the Commonwealth Conference, Moravian came away with a pair of wins against Albright Thursday afternoon on North Hall Field. The Greyhounds defeated Albright 2-0 in game one, then took game two by a score of 7-1. The loss drops Albright into second place in the conference at 9-3, while Moravian clinches the regular season title as they stand at 11-1.

Game one was a dual between two of the top pitchers in the conference, Albright's Ashley Young and Moravian's Meagan Hennessey. Stevie Crouse led off the bottom of the first for Albright with a single and made her way to third base with two outs, but Hennessey got out of the inning with a strikeout. That would be the last hit she would surrender in game one. Moravian reached Young in the top of the third. Erica Kleipiscz led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice, and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Greyhounds a 1-0 lead. Meridith Hippert drew a one-out walk in the fourth for Albright, but the Lady Lions were unable to move her any further. Moravian's second run came in the top of the fifth, when Richelle McWilliams led off the inning with a solo home run to make the score 2-0. That was more than enough for Hennessey, who did not allow a base runner after Hippert's fourth inning walk. Young allowed just six hits and struck out seven in taking the loss.

Game two saw Moravian score twice in the top of the first inning to grab an early 2-0 lead. Albright got on the board in the second, as Meredith Mayes led off with a single, and moved to second on an Alex Keyes single. After a ground out moved the runners to second and third with two outs, Danielle Perlin drew a walk to load the bases. Crouse then worked a walk to force home Mayes and cut the Greyhound lead to 2-1. Moravian answered in the top of the third, when Sherri Bieniek drilled a two-out, two-run home run to make the score 4-1. Two Albright errors in the fourth led to three unearned Moravian runs as the Greyhounds pushed their lead to 7-1. Albright put two runners on in the sixth, but could not put a dent in the Moravian lead as the Greyhounds went on to the win and the doubleheader sweep. Mayes was 3-3 in the game, while Keyes went 2-3. Young took the loss in the circle to fall to 8-7 on the season.

April 25, 2006: Susquehanna 2, Albright 1; Albright 2, Susquehanna 1

Selinsgrove, PA - Albright took a 2-1 win in game two of a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader at Susquehanna on Tuesday to salvage a split and improve to 9-1 in conference play. The Crusaders won game one 2-1 and are 8-4 in the conference.

Both contests were pitcher's duels, with Ashley Young and Jess Nastelli squring off in the opener. The game was scoreless into the fourth inning, when Bekah Bennett singled home Mallory Oliver in the bottom half of the inning to give Susquehanna a 1-0 lead. The score was still 1-0 heading into the seventh, but Albright would not go away easily. Meridith Hippert led off the inning with a double. After two batters failed to advance pinch-runner Alexis Gessner, Alex Keyes stepped up with a base hit to score Gessner and tie the ball game. The Crusaders, however, rallied to win the game in the bottom of the seventh when Megan McCurley singled with two outs to bring home the winning run. Young suffered the loss despite allowing only six hits.

The second game saw Albright jump to an early lead with two runs in the second inning. Hippert led off with a single and advanced to second when Meredith Mayes worked a walk. Erica Romond followed with a single to score Hippert with the game's first run. After a ground out to move the runners to second and third and a pop-up, Danielle Perlin knocked a base hit to score Mayes and give Albright the 2-0 lead. Susquehanna reached Young for a run in the third, but she allowed just one hit over the final four innings to seal the win for the Lady Lions. Jennifer Lynch had two hits in the game for Albright, while Young improved to 9-6 with the win.

April 20, 2006: Albright 6, F&M 0; F&M 10, Albright 1

Reading, PA - Albright split a non-conference with F&M on Thursday, winning the opener 6-0 before dropping the nightcap 10-1. The Lady Lions are now 11-17 on the season, while the Diplomats are 5-28.

In the opener, Ashley Young tossed a three-hit shutout while Erica Romond was 2-3 with a double and a home run to lead Albright. The Lady Lions jumped on F&M early, scoring twice in the first, adding a run in the second, and posting two more in the third for a quick 5-0 lead. That would be more than enough for Young, who struck out five in picking up her eighth win of the season. Hillary Gary was also 2-3 in the game for Albright with a pair of runs scored.

Albright opened game two with a run in the bottom of the first, but from there the bats went silent. The Lady Lions held their 1-0 lead into the fourth, but F&M broke through with a five run inning to take a 5-1 lead. The Diplomats put up another run in the fifth, then blew the game wide open with a four run seventh inning to hold a 10-1 lead. Albright managed just five hits in the game off winning pitcher Ali Tyler, including a triple from Meridith Hippert. Lauren Every suffered the loss for the Lady Lions.

April 18, 2006: Albright 3, LVC 0, Albright 3, LVC 2 (8)

Annville, PA - Ashley Young used her bat and arm to lead Albright to a key doubleheader sweep of Commonwealth Conference rival Lebanon Valley Tuesday afternoon, clinching a spot in the conference tournament for the Lady Lions. Albright won game one 3-0, then completed the sweep with a 3-2 win in eight innings in game two. The Lady Lions are a perfect 8-0 in the conference and 10-16 overall, while LVC falls to 6-4, 20-8.

In game one, Albright and LVC were scoreless heading into the fourth inning. The Lady Lions broke through for a run in the fourth when Erica Romond laced a one-out double, and scored on Hillary Gary's two-out single to give Albright a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fifth it was Young stepping up for Albright, drilling a two-run home run to make the score 3-0. That was more than enough cushion for Young on the mound, as she allowed just four hits and struck out four batters on her way to the shutout victory. Young, Romond, and Stevie Crouse each had two hits in the game for the Lady Lions.

Game two was another pitcher's duel. The Dutchmen finally solved Young in the bottom of the second inning, when her pitching counterpart Jenn Roberts hit a home run to give LVC a 1-0 lead. That score would hold until the top of the seventh, when the Lady Lions rallied for a run to tie the score at one. With one out, Romond drew a walk, and Alex Keyes followed with a double to right to put runners on second and third with one out. Gary was retired for the second out of the inning, but Jennifer Lynch came through in the clutch, lacing a single to score Romond. Young retired the Dutchmen in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. In the eighth, Young led off with a single but was erased on a fielder's choice. Meredith Mayes followed with a home run to left field to give Albright a 3-1 lead. LVC got one run back in the bottom of the eighth and had a runner on second base with two outs, but Young struck out Crystal Nolan looking to end the ballgame. Jennifer Lynch was 3-4 for Albright to lead the offensive attack, while Young scattered six hits and struck out five for her seventh win of the season.

April 12, 2006: Ramapo 4, Albright 1; Ramapo 4, Albright 2

Mahwah, NJ - Ramapo swept a non-conference doubleheader from Albright Wednesday afternoon in Mahwah, NJ, winning the first game 4-1 and taking game two 4-2. The Lady Lions are now 8-16 on the season, while the Roadrunners improve to 19-6 with the wins.

Game one was scoreless through three innings, but Albright broke the tie in the top of the fourth. Alex Keyes singled home Ashley Young with the first run of the game to put Albright on top 1-0. Ramapo answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at one, then scored three times in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. The Lady Lions were not able to cut into the deficit in their final two at bats as the Roadrunners took game one by the 4-1 score. Young an Keyes each had two hits for Albright, while Young suffered the loss on the mound.

In game two, Ramapo scored once in the first inning and added two more runs in the fourth to hold a 3-0 lead. Albright put together a rally in the top of the fifth, as Hillary Gary led off with a double and would later score on an error. The Lady Lions loaded the bases, and Meredith Mayes drew a walk to score another run and pull Albright within 3-2. Ramapo got out of the inning with no further runs scoring, however, then tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning and held on for the 4-2 win. Meredith Mayes took the loss for Albright.

April 9, 2006: Albright 13, Widener 8; Albright 4, Widener 3

Chester, PA - Albright swept Widener in a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader on Sunday, using a nine-run sixth inning to rally for a 13-8 win in game one before taking game two 4-3. The Lady Lions are now 6-0 in conference play and 8-14 overall, while the Pioneers fall to 12-12, 1-7.

In the opener, Albright got a run in the first inning on Ashley Young's solo home run, and added two more runs in the fourth on two-out RBI hits from Erica Romond and Alex Keyes. The Lady Lions held that 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Pioneers exploded for six runs. A solo home run from Stephanie Caufield and a three-run shot from Mallory Meyer were the big blows in the inning for Widener. Trailing 6-3, Albright responded with its biggest inning of the season. With one out Romond walked and Keyes belted a two-run home run to pull Albright within 6-5. The Lady Lions then ripped off seven straight hits, the last being a three-run home run from Meredith Mayes, to score seven more runs and take a 13-6 lead. Mayes relieved Young on the mound in the sixth and preserved the win for the Lady Lions. Young picked up the win to improve to 5-4 on the season. Young and Tara McMurtrie each had three hits in Albright's 16-hit effort.

Game two saw the Lady Lions score three times in the top of the first. Meridith Hippert's two-out single scored Stevie Crouse with the first run, and after Mayes walked, Romond drilled a two-run double to give Albright the 3-0 lead. Widener pulled within 3-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Albright got one run back in the fifth when Mayes doubled home pinch-runner Danielle Perlin to increase the Lady Lions lead to 4-2. Widener did score a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to pull within one, 4-3, but Mayes retired the final batter on a groundout to complete the sweep. Mayes got the win for Albright on the mound, while Crouse and Mayes each had three hits to lead Albright at the plate.

April 6, 2006: Ursinus 6, Albright 4; Ursinus 7, Albright 0

Collegeville, PA - Ursinus swept Albright in a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon, taking a 6-4 win in the opener and then shutting out the Lions 7-0 in game two. The losses drop Albright to 6-14 on the season, while the Bears improve to to 15-5.

In game one, Albright scored three times in the top of the fourth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit and take a 3-1 lead. The Bears responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning, then posted three runs in the bottom of the fifth to hold a 5-3 advantage. Meredith Mayes led off the top of the sixth with a solo home run to pull Albright within 5-4, but Ursinus answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth and shut the Lions down in the seventh to hold on for the win. Mayes was 2-2 to lead Albright's offense, while Becky Moist suffered the loss for the Lions.

In the second game, Albright managed just two hits in falling 7-0. Ursinus scored two runs in the third, added a single run in the fourth, then pulled away with two runs in the fifth and sixth innings for the win. Mayes took the loss on the mound for Albright, while Erica Romond and Jennifer Lynch had the only hits in the game for the Lions.

April 3, 2006: Albright 5, Elizabethtown 3

Elizabethtown, PA - Albright defeated Elizabethtown 5-3 in a replay of a tied game called because of darkness March 14. The win completes a sweep of the Blue Jays for Albright and lifts its record to 4-0 in Commonwealth Conference play, 6-12 overall. Elizabethtown falls to 5-12, 0-6.

Albright jumped out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first. Stevie Crouse led off with a double. Tara McMurtie was then plunked by a pitch, and Ashley Young's fly out to center advanced each runner one base. Meridith Hippert then delivered a sacrifice fly to score Crouse with the first run of the day. Etown tied the game on Abbie Merrifield's two-out single in the bottom half of the inning. Albright got an unearned run in the third to take a 2-1 lead, but again the Blue Jays answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame to tie the score, this time at two. The Lady Lions took the lead for good in the top half of the fifth. Albright loaded the bases with one out, and Young delivered her second sacrifice fly of the game to score Hillary Gary and give the visitors a 3-2 lead. With two outs, Hippert reached on an error, and Meredith Mayes made the Blue Jays pay for the miscue, drilling a two-run double to give Albright a 5-2 lead. Etown managed another run in its half of the fifth, but Young worked out of a bases loaded jam to keep Albright on top 5-3. In the sixth, the Blue Jays put runners on the corners with no one out, but Young got a pop up to third for the first out, then struck out the next two hitters to escape unharmed. The bottom of the seventh was another jam for the Lady Lions, as the first two Blue Jays drew walks to put the tying runs on base. A fly out to left and two more strikeouts ended the Blue Jay threat, however, and put the game in the win column for Albright.

Young evened her record at 4-4 for the season with the win. She scattered 10 hits and struck out seven in the complete game effort. Crouse was 2-4 for the Lady Lions with two runs scored, while Mayes and Young each drove in a pair of runs.

April 1, 2006: Albright 6, Messiah 2; Albright 3, Messiah 2

Reading, PA - Albright improved to 3-0 in Commonwealth Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Messiah College Saturday afternoon. The wins improve Albright to 3-0 in the conference and 5-12 on the season, while the Falcons fall to 14-10, 2-4.

Messiah scored first in the opener, as Lana Trotter doubled and scored on an Amy Ruhf single to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Albright came back to take the lead in the bottom of the third. Stevie Crouse led off with a single, and moved to second on a Tara McMurtrie sacrifice. After Ashley Young was hit by a pitch, Meridith Hippert followed with a single to score Crouse and tie the game at 1-1. Meredith Mayes then stepped to the plate and drilled a three-run home run to put Albright on top 4-1. The Lady Lions tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth, as Alex Keyes singled and Hillary Gary doubled to lead off the inning and put runners on second and third. Both would eventually score to put Albright up 6-1. Messiah scored a run in the seventh on a Trotter home run, but Young shut the door there to seal the win for the Lady Lions. Young was solid on the mound, allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out five and not issuing a walk to pick up her second win of the season. Crouse, Keyes, and Erica Romond were all 2-3 to lead Albright's 11-hit attack.

In game two, Crouse led off the bottom of the first with a double and would score one batter later on a Young RBI single to give Albright an early lead. Crouse was at it again in the third, leading off with a single and advancing to second on a McMurtrie sacrifice. Young was then hit by a pitch, and Hippert singled to drive in Crouse with the second run for the Lady Lions. With two outs and runners on the corners, Romond delivered a clutch RBI single, scoring Young and giving Albright a 3-0 lead. Messiah got one run back in the top of the fourth when Amy Bowie greeted Young with a leadoff home run. The Falcons pulled within 3-2 in the sixth, scoring once but stranding the tying run on third base. In the top of the seventh Messiah's Ruhf led off with a single and stole second, but Young got a strikeout, a comebacker to the mound, and a fly ball to right to close out the victory and the sweep for Albright. Young improved to 3-4 with her second win of the afternoon, while Crouse was 2-2 with two runs scored and a walk. Hippert and Romond also had two hits each in the win for Albright.

March 29, 2006: DeSales 2, Albright 1; DeSales 4, Albright 2

Center Valley, PA - Albright lost a pair of close games at DeSales on Wednesday, dropping game one 2-1 before falling in the nightcap 4-2. The Lady Lions are now 3-12 on the season.

In the opener, Albright jumped on top early, getting a run in the top of the first inning when Meridith Hippert singled home Stevie Crouse with two outs for the early lead. The score stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth, when DeSales scored two time to take a 2-1 lead. Albright threatened to tie the score or take the lead in both the sixth and seventh innings, putting two runners on base in each frame, but the Lady Lions could not scratch up one more hit to get the tying run home as DeSales escaped with the win. Ashley Young suffered the loss for Albright despite allowing just two runs on six hits and striking out nine.

In game two, DeSales scored a pair of unearned runs in the third and added another run in the fourth to lead 3-0. Albright rallied in the fifth, with Jennifer Lynch and Crouse knocking back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Lynch scored two batters later on a fielders choice, and Hippert followed with another two-out RBI single to pull the Lady Lions within one at 3-2. After the Bulldogs scored once in the fifth to push their lead back to two, Albright tried to piece together one more rally. Albright put runners on second and third with one out, but two straight line drives were caught by the DeSales infield, ending the game. Crouse was 3-4 in the game to lead Albright offensively, while Meredith Mayes took the loss on the mound. Mayes allowed five hits and three unearned runs over four innings, striking out 10 batters.

March 22, 2006: Southern Connecticut 3, Albright 0; Albright 3, Buffalo State 0

Ft. Myers, FL - Albright split a pair of games at the Gene Cusic Classic in Ft. Myers on Wednesday, dropping the first game 3-0 to Southern Connecticut before taking a 3-0 decision over Buffalo State in game two. Albright is 2-4 through six games in the tournament, and 3-8 overall in 2006.

In the first game of the day, Southern Connecticut's Kelly Brenner silenced the Albright bats, tossing a four-hit shutout. The Owls reached Lady Lion hurler Ashley Young for two runs in the bottom of the third inning, then tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth to close out the scoring. Albright's best scoring chances came in the middle innings. In the third, singles from Tara McMurtrie and Jennifer Lynch put runners on the corners with two outs but could not get a run across. In the top of the fourth, Meridith Hippert led off with a triple, but Brenner induced three consecutive ground ball outs to get out of the inning unharmed. The Lady Lions would not threaten again as the Owls took the victory.

In game two, Young was dominant on the mound for Albright, firing a two-hit shutout as Albright downed Buffalo State 3-0. Young struck out seven and did not walk a batter in picking up her first win of the season. Albright broke a scoreless tie in the top half of the fourth inning. With one out, Meredith Mayes ripped a triple, and Erica Romond followed with an RBI single to give the Lady Lions a 1-0 lead. Albright added two more runs in the fifth, as Lynch led off with a triple and scored on when McMurtrie reached safely on an error after a walk to Stevie Crouse. Crouse would score two batters later in a fielders choice of the bat of Hippert, making the score 3-0. Young never gave Buffalo State a chance to get back in the game, allowing only one base runner over the final three innings to nail down the win for Albright.

March 20, 2006: Wisconsin-Superior 7, Albright 5; Wellesley 10, Albright 1

Ft. Myers, FL - Albright dropped two games at the Gene Cusic Classic in Ft. Myers on Monday, falling to Wisconsin-Superior 7-5 and Wellesley 10-1. The Lady Lions are 2-7 on the season.

In the opener, Wisconsin-Superior used four hits and two Albright errors to score three times in the top of the first. Albright answered with two runs in its half of the inning when Ashley Young's two-out double scored Stevie Crouse and Tara McMurtrie, who had each drawn walks. Wisconsin kept up the offensive barrage in the second, scoring four more times, highlighted by a leadoff home run from Brooke Bailey and a two-run triple from Jamie Lovstad. Trailing 7-2, Albright rallied in the bottom of the third. Three straight singles from Meridith Hippert, Young, and Ashley Romond loaded the bases with no one out. After a pitching change, Brittany Haynos delivered an RBI single to make the score 7-3. An RBI fielder's choice from Kristen Landis and a bases loaded walk to McMurtrie gave Albright two more runs and made the score 7-5 after three. Young came in in relief of Lady Lion starter Lauren Every and shut down the Yellow Jackets the rest of the way, but Albright could not scratch out another run and came up on the short end of the 7-5 score.

The second game of the day saw Albright score in the top of the first when Stevie Crouse walked, moved to second on McMurtrie's single, and scored on an error. That would be the only bright spot for the Lady Lions, as Wellesley scored four in the first and two in the second to take a 6-1 lead. Four more Wellesley runs in the fourth made the score 10-1, and when Albright failed to score in the top of the fifth, the game ended due to the eight run rule. Albright had just one hit in the game, McMurtrie's first inning single. Meredith Mayes suffered the loss on the mound for the Lady Lions.

March 19, 2006: Albright 10, Plymouth State 1; Franklin Peirce 3, Albright 2

Ft. Myers, FL - Albright opened its 2006 spring trip in Ft. Myers, Florida, with a 10-1 win over Plymouth State Saturday morning. The Lady Lions dropped the second game of the day, falling to Division II Franklin Pierce 3-2.

Against Plymouth State, the Lions took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Tara McMurtrie's double scored Stevie Crouse. After Plymouth the game in the top of the second, Albright took the lead for good in the bottom half of the frame, using two errors to take a 2-1 lead. The Lady Lions broke the game open in the bottom of the third, scoring eight times to take a 10-1 lead. Albright used seven hits, a walk, and three Plymouth errors to put up the eight runs. McMurtrie had a two RBI double and Hillary Gary added a two-run single to highlight the big inning. Meredith Mayes did not allow a run or a hit over the last two innings as the Lady Lions won by the eight run rule after four and a half innings. Mayes allowed just one run on three hits in picking up her second win of the season.

In the second game of the day, Albright got on the board first with a run in the top of the third when Stevie Crouse's ground out to third scored Alex Keyes. Franklin Pierce answered with three runs in the bottom of the third, using three hits and a key Albright error to take the 3-1 lead. The score was still 3-1 heading into the sixth inning. Albright cut the lead to one in the top of the sixth when Erica Romond's two-out single scored Meridith Hippert. The Lady Lions would get no closer, however, as Franklin Pierce pitcher Courtney Jacobs retired Albright in order in the seventh to preserve the win. Ashley Young was the hard-luck loser on the mound for Albright, giving up two earned runs and five hits in six innings while striking out six.

March 14, 2006: Albright 3, Elizabethtown 1; Albright 4, Elizabethtown 4

Elizabethtown, PA - Albright opened Commonwealth Conference play with a 3-1 win over Elizabethtown in game one of a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon. In game two, the Lady Lions overcame a 4-1 deficit to take an 8-4 lead in the top of the sixth, but the game was called due to darkness, with the score reverting back to the last full inning. Since the score was tied 4-4 after five, the game is declared a tie by NCAA rules. The conference commissioner will determine on Wednesday whether the game will remain a tie or must be replayed.

In game one, junior Meredith Mayes was on her game on the mound, limiting the Blue Jays to a pair of singles in picking up her first win of the season. The Lady Lions jumped on top when Stevie Crouse opened the game with a single, moved to second on a fielders choice, and scored on a two-out single from Meridith Hippert. Albright added a run in the fourth when Hippert drilled a leadoff double, and pinch runner Alex Gessner scored on Kate-Gibson's two-out single to give the Lady Lions a 2-0 lead. In the top of the fifth inning Albright extended its lead to 3-0 when Mayes knocked a two-out single and advanced to second on an error. Once again Hippert came through with the big hit, singling home Mayes for the third run of the afternoon. Mayes cruised into the bottom of the seventh with the 3-0 lead and having allowed only a second-inning single to the Blue Jays. A leadoff single and two straight Albright errors later, however, and the Blue Jays had the bases loaded with no one out. A ground ball produced a force at third base for the first out of the inning, but a run scored for Etown on the play to cut the lead to two, 3-1. Another ground out advanced the runners to second and third with two outs, but Mayes retired the final Blue Jay on yet another ground ball to close out the win. Hippert finished the game 3-3 with two RBI's for the Lady Lions.

In the second game, Hillary Gary's RBI single scored Ashley Young in the top of the second to erase an early Etown lead and tie the score at one. The Blue Jays came back to score three times in the bottom half of the second inning to hold a 4-1 lead. The score remained 4-1 Etown until the top of the fifth inning, when Albright rallied to tie the score. Gary led off with a single and moved to second on a passed ball. Jennifer Lynch then reached base when she struck out but reached safely as the ball eluded the catcher. Crouse followed with a double to score both Gary and Lynch, cutting Etown's lead to 4-3. One out later, Mayes singled to score Crouse and knot the score at 4-4. Mayes, who came on in relief of starter Lauren Every, set the Blue Jays down in order in the bottom of the fifth, and the game headed to the sixth tied at four. Erica Romond led off the sixth with a single. After two straight outs, Lynch came up and blasted a home run to left center field to give Albright a 6-4 lead. Albright scored two more times in the inning, but before the inning ended, the umpires called the game due to darkness. By NCAA rules, since the entire inning was not completed, the game must revert back to the score at the end of the last full inning, meaning the game ends in a 4-4 tie.

March 4, 2006: Rowan 8, Albright 0; Methodist 10, Albright 1

Virginia Beach, VA - Albright ran into a pair of hot pitchers on the second day of the Atlantic vs. East Challange Saturday, losing to Rowan 8-0 and Methodist 10-1. In game one against Rowan, junior Erica Romond was 2-2 with a double, but those were the only two hits the Lady Lions could manage as Rowan's Colleen Oswald tossed the shutout. The Profs scored twice in the second inning and three more times in the fifth to take an early lead, which proved more than enough for Oswald. Meredith Mayes took the loss for Albright. In the final game if the tournament, an eight-run fourth inning propelled Methodist to a 10-1 win over Albright. Romond and sophomore Tara McMurtrie each doubled in the game for Albright. Lauren Every was the losing pitcher for the Lady Lions.

Albright will return to action on Tuesday, March 14th, with a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader at Elizabethtown.

March 3, 2006: Oneonta 9, Albright 8; Virginia Wesleyan 6, Albright 5

Virginia Beach, VA - Albright opened the season Friday at the Atlantic vs. East Challenge hosted by Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach. The Lady Lions dropped a pair of one-run games, falling to Oneonta 9-8 before losing to Virginia Wesleyan 6-5. Against Oneonta, Albright opened an early 5-2 lead, but Oneonta used a four-run fifth inning to rally for the win. Senior catcher Meridith Hippert, Albright's career home-run record holder, was 3-3 with a double, a home run, and three RBI's in the game while freshman Alex Keyes had an impressive debut, going 2-3 with a double, a home run, and three RBI's. In the nightcap vs. host Virginia Wesleyan, the Lady Lions held a 5-3 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh, only to see the Marlins rally for three runs and the victory. Sophomore Stevie Crouse and freshman Jennifer Lynch each had a pair of hits to lead the offense for Albright, with Crouse scoring three runs on the day.

Albright will face Rowan and Methodist on Saturday in the second day of the Atlantic vs. East Challange.