COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus softball team swept a home doubleheader against Elizabethtown on a chilly Thursday afternoon at the Snell Softball Field in non-conference action. The Bears won a wild game one 15-9 and shut out the Blue Jays in game two, 5-0.
 
 
With the sweep, the Bears improved to 7-11 overall while the Blue Jays fell to 3-7 overall.
 
 
GAME 1: Ursinus 15, Elizabethtown 9
 
The first game got out to a wild start as the teams combined for 14 runs in the first two innings of play. Elizabethtown scored four runs to get things started in the top of the first behind two hits and taking advantage of a two-out error. However, the Bears countered immediately with five runs in the bottom half behind four hits and taking advantage of a trio of Blue Jay errors. The first seven batters reached, and sophomore Kayla Carr delivered the biggest blow in the inning with a double that just got over the left fielder's head that made it 4-3. A fourth run came across after an error on a steal attempt and junior Stephanie Wichman brought in the final run with a sacrifice fly. Elizabethtown tied the game at five in the top of the second before the Bears added four more runs in the bottom half to go up 9-5. The Bears put runners on second and third base with no outs and senior Sara Sullivan reached on a bunt attempt after getting new life following a dropped foul ball. A wide throw on Sullivan's bunt attempt brought in junior Samantha Mallen from third to make it 6-5. Wichman cleared the bases with a three-run double to left field that made it 9-5. Elizabethtown went down in order for the top of the third and the Bears continued to add to its lead with two more runs in the bottom of the third. Mallen singled and stole second before coming around to score on a single from senior Maddie Solow. Solow scored on a dropped fly ball in center with two outs that made it 11-5. The Blue Jays refused to go away as they scored three runs in the top of the fourth to make it 11-8, but once again could not hold the Bears down as they responded with four runs to go up 15-8. Senior Sarah DiLello tripled to right center to score runners on first and second base before coming around to score on a groundout one batter later. Carr brought in the final run with a two-out single. Elizabethtown added a run in the top of the fifth but would not get closer as sophomore pitcher Riley Coneeny shut the Blue Jays down in the final three innings to earn the save.
 
 
GAME 2: Ursinus 5, Elizabethtown 0
 
The Bears started fast once again as Sullivan doubled in Mallen and Solow to put Ursinus up 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Wichman started in the circle for the Bears in game two and worked around a two-out triple in the top of the second to keep Elizabethtown off the board. Wichman retired the next 11 batters in order which included a five-pitch fourth inning and six-pitch fifth inning. While Wichman was holding things down in the circle, the Bears added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth when Mallen singled with the bases loaded to make it 3-0. Ursinus opened the bottom of the fifth with three straight singles and made it 4-0 off the third one hit by senior Madison Wilson. DiLello led off the bottom of the sixth with her second triple of the game and third of the day before scoring on a passed ball in the next at-bat that made it 5-0. Wichman struck out the final Blue Jay batter with runners on first and second base to complete the day.
 
 
Wichman tossed her first complete game shutout of her collegiate career and her second career complete game after throwing one against Muhlenberg in the final week of the 2022 season. She allowed just four hits and struck out four batters while walking one. At the plate, Wichman drove in four runs in game one behind her three run double. Mallen went a combined 5-of-9 from the plate in the doubleheader with four runs scored and two RBI's. She stole three bases to tie the Ursinus career stolen base record of 64 held by Janetta Trecroce. Solow went 3-of-4 with three runs scored and an RBI in game one while Carr went 2-of-5 with three RBI's and a run scored. Junior Rachel Hartman tallied two hits in game one with an RBI and DiLello went a combined 5-of-7 with three RBI's plus two runs scored. Wilson went 3-for-3 in game two with an RBI.
 
 
The Bears return to action on Tuesday, March 26th as they will travel to Immaculata for a doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m.