Box score
ANNVILLE, Pa. --- Lebanon Valley College defeated Elizabethtown College 3-1 in the Commonwealth Conference softball tournament opener Friday afternoon at the LVC Softball Park.
The Blue Jays (18-12-1 overall) will play Widener University in an elimination game Saturday at 9:00 a.m. after the Pride lost 3-0 to Messiah College in Friday's second game. Messiah edged Lebanon Valley 2-1 Friday afternoon to advance to the championship round.
Lebanon Valley (30-9 overall) jumped to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run single by Kristen Uhas, but the Blue Jays got a run back in the third as
Whitney Breneman doubled with one out, moved to third on a grounder and scored on a fielding error by Lebanon Valley pitcher Val Malizzia.
In the sixth, the Flying Dutchmen tacked on an insurance run as Katie Freeman led off with a double, and pinch-runner Steph Hulme came home on a two-out single by Allie Davies.
Malizzia (15-4) worked five-plus innings to earn the win for the Dutchmen, allowing an unearned run on four hits while striking out four and walking two.
Julie Sebastian (10-6) gave up seven hits and three earned runs in six innings for the Blue Jays, while fanning a pair.
Lebanon Valley's Kristen Palmerio was the lone player on either team with more than one hit in the game, as she finished 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and a run scored.