Into the Heart of the Schedule

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — With the MAC Commonwealth Conference champion qualifying automatically for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament in both baseball and softball, winning the Commonwealth title now carries more importance than previous years. That’s why both the Susquehanna University baseball and softball teams face important weeks — with the baseball team hosting first-place Messiah (11-7, 2-0 MAC CC) in a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday, and the softball team playing twinbills at conference rivals Juniata (2-4, 0-2 MAC CC) Wednesday, and then four-time defending MAC champion Messiah (6-8, 0-0 MAC CC) Saturday.

The baseball team is right in the thick of the MAC Commonwealth title hunt after opening with a sweep at defending Commonwealth champ Elizabethtown (13-2, 3-2), and then gaining a split with defending MAC champion Widener (10-8, 5-9) Saturday — leaving the Crusaders at 3-1 and part of a three-way tie for second. Last Saturday’s games with Widener served as the home openers for Susquehanna, which is playing its home games at the Selinsgrove Area High School Baseball Field until grass sufficiently grows in on the new Harold Bollinger Field behind West Hall. The temporary venue has proven to be kind to the hitters because of its “short porch” in right, but a Coors Field-like nightmare to the pitchers — producing eight home runs in the first three games there. Those games include Monday’s 5-5 tie with Misericordia — a game which saw the visitors rally for four runs in the ninth to tie it. The umpires called the game at the completion of the inning because of the steady rain and increasing darkness, making Susquehanna now 6-6-1 for second-year head coach Tim Briggs.

In the MAC Commonwealth Conference’s first statistical rankings, Susquehanna is second in team batting average (now .319) and fourth in pitching (now 5.64 staff ERA). The Crusaders average nearly seven runs per game (6.8).

The Crusader softball team opened MAC Commonwealth Conference play last Saturday during a home split with Widener (7-3, 1-2), making them 6-5 overall for sixth-year head coach Vince Anselmo (103-75, .579). Rain also postponed the team’s home doubleheader last Tuesday with arch-rival and MAC Freedom contender Lycoming — rescheduling it for Monday, April 11.

The Crusaders swept Juniata (8-0, 2-0), but lost three tight contests (1-2, 1-2, 0-3) to Messiah a year ago, including their final game in the MAC Championship Tournament. Susquehanna has lost its last six games to the Falcons.

Susquehanna was ranked fourth in MAC Commonwealth batting (now .296) last week.

THE BASEBALL REPORT

Sophomore catcher Travis Zook (Belleville/Indian Valley H.S.) was a key player as the Crusaders went 2-1-1 over the past week, going 7 for 16 (.438) with two doubles and five runs batted in — also throwing out 4 of 6 (.667) potential base stealers. The big week lifted Zook’s average to .342 (13 of 38), tying for the team lead in doubles with four. He also has scored 12 runs and knocked in eight. Defensively, he’s now thrown out nine of the 17 (.529) base runners trying to steal on him, committing just two errors in 83 total attempts (.976).

Freshman Tim Ronchi (Factoryville/Lackawanna Trail H.S.) tops the regulars in batting at .396 (19 of 48), slugging percentage (.604) and triples (3), also tying with Zook for the team lead in doubles (4). He leads the MAC Commonwealth stats in triples per game (now 0.23 per game). Ronchi had his biggest games in the non-conference contests last week, going a combined 7 for 11 (.636) with a pair of doubles in the games vs. Dickinson and Misericordia. He recently moved from rightfield to become the starter in left, also batting third in the order.

Senior Andy Berwager (Hanover/South Western H.S.) is not far behind Ronchi at .378 (17 for 45) and has scored a team high 16 runs while sporting a .472 on-base percentage. Berwager hit his first collegiate home run to lead off Susquehanna’s first vs. Misericordia. He took an outside fastball to right-center field, but learned the negative effects of the “short porch” in right as the starting pitcher in Saturday’s loss to Widener. With the wind blowing out, Berwager watched three Pioneer home runs clear the short fence as he saw his record slip to 1-2 with a 6.31 earned run average. He still has a team high 23 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings (8.06 per game).

In addition to Berwager, the Crusaders got first career home runs from both junior second baseman Chris Knickerbocker (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy) and sophomore third baseman Matt Springman (Montoursville/Montoursville H.S.) in last Saturday’s doubleheader. Knickerbocker has gone 4 for 10 (.400) with four RBIs in the three home games, raising his average to .265 (9 for 34). He also has walked seven times for a .405 on-base percentage.

On the mound, senior left-hander Josh Shipton (Mifflinburg/Mifflinburg H.S.) picked up the win in the opener Saturday — going six innings and giving up four earned runs. He is tied for second in MAC Commonwealth wins and now has a 4.35 ERA, which includes 13 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings.

Junior right-hander Lee Rogers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry H.S.) probably had the best pitching outing on the Selinsgrove High field — throwing seven innings and scattering just three singles while striking out eight and walking six in his start vs. Misericordia. The effort lowered his ERA to 1.96 — best among the regular pitchers — with 18 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings (8.68 per game). His two saves tie him for second in the MAC Commonwealth rankings.

THE SOFTBALL REPORT

Sophomore Chrissy Falcone (Mt. Bethel/Bangor H.S.) returned to the starting lineup last Saturday as the designated hitter, and proceeded to be one of the squad’s top hitters on the day. Falcone was 2 for 3 in the opener — producing the biggest blow with a three-run triple in sixth inning to break open the tie game. She also laid down a pair of successful sacrifice bunts in the nightcap, with one of them bringing in the lone run. The outing lifted Falcone’s average to .286 (2 for 7) with four RBIs. Despite taking the pitching loss in relief during the second game, she also threw well for the second-straight outing, giving up just one run in three innings.

Freshman first baseman/shortstop Shana Lalo (Bethlehem/Northampton H.S.) continues to lead the team offensively in her debut collegiate season – getting two more hits Saturday to give her a .438 (14 of 32) batting average. Lalo has hit in all 11 games thus far and scored nine runs, while driving in five. She also helped turn a double play from short in Saturday’s opener, and has just three errors in 68 defensive chances for a solid .956 fielding clip.

Sophomore third baseman Shelly Zimmerman (Denver/Garden Spot H.S.) also had hits in each game last Saturday and remains second among the regulars in batting at .387 (12 of 31). Zimmerman has two doubles and a triple and has scored eight runs. She tops the everyday players in slugging percentage at .516, and has been steady defensively at third.

Junior right-hander and two-time MAC Commonwealth All-Star Kristen Hogan (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury H.S.) picked up her third-straight win while throwing her fifth complete game in six starts this season during Saturday’s opener. Hogan struckout eight as she improved to a team best 5-2 while lowering her earned run average to 2.59. She remains second in career strikeouts at Susquehanna with 278 (Record: 323, Judy Sholtis, 1983-86) and moved past senior right-hander Katy Alwine (Bethel Park/Bethel Park H.S.) for third in career pitching victories with 28 (Record: 43, Sholtis, 1983-86). She is also third in career ERA (1.76) and fourth in winning percentage (.667, 28-14) on the program’s all-time lists.

Alwine also continues to get stronger with each outing — throwing four innings without giving up an earned run while allowing just four hits. Also a two-time MAC Commonwealth All-Star pitcher, Alwine lowered her staff best ERA to 1.37. She remains second in school history in career ERA at 1.44