READING, Pa., Sunday, April 17, 2011-- Arcadia University Softball traveled to Reading, Pa. to take on the Albright College Lions in Commonwealth Conference action and after dropping a tough 5-1 opening game, the Knights salvaged the twin-bill split with a 9-1 victory in the nightcap. Arcadia now moves to 4-4 (17-7 overall) in the league, while Albright drops to 2-8 (8-20 overall).

Even though the Knights out-hit the Lions in the opening tilt, 8-5, the Lions roared back from a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the second with five runs. The Knights opened the game scoring with an unearned run in the top of the frame, as senior Virginia Buechel came home on passed ball. But in the bottom of the inning, the Lions not only got the best of junior Arcadia starter Kelsey Roberts but capitalized on two infield errors. After grounding out to open the frame, the Lions offered up four hits and scored five times, all unearned runs to take a 5-1 lead after two, which stood as the final. Roberts was tagged with her first lost in the last six tries and is now 9-3 on the year. She walked four and struck out three through six innings of work. 

Arcadia used three, three-run innings in the nightcap to salvage the afternoon doubleheader behind a solid pitching performance from first-year Jess Wood, who earned her fourth win of the season (4-2). The Knights went to work in the first. Juniors Lindsey Henchinski and Erin Wojcieszyn singled to open the inning and were both brought home on a two-run double from Buechel. Buechel was later brought in by a double from sophomore Marissa Perez for a 3-0 Knights advantage. Albright scored one in the bottom of the first on an RBI single to make it 3-1 Knights but Woods would allow the Lions just four hits through five innings while getting the necessary run support from her team. Arcadia scored three more times in the fourth. Wojcieszyn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing first-year Leanda Helms, who singled to open the inning, to score for a 4-1 Knights lead. A two-run single off the bat of  sophomore Brandee Zablotsky brought in Henchinski, who singled to get on base and senior Ashley McCarthy who reached on an error and it was a 6-1 Knights lead. Arcadia left three on to end the fourth but would tack on three more runs in the fifth for a 9-1 final. Woods delivered two strikeouts and walked three through 21 batters faced. Henchinski led the offense going 2-4 with three runs and an RBI. Zablotsky finished 2-4 with three RBI while Wojcieszyn and Buechel each went 1-3 with two RBI and one scored. 

The Knights will square off against Widener University in their next league battle April 21. The Pride, also 4-4 in the league, split their series last season with the Knights. Both teams are tied for third overall in the league standings. Arcadia's non-league game at Eastern scheduled for April 19 has been postponed due to scheduling conflict with the Freedom Conference.