ITHACA, N.Y.
-- The third-seeded Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen (32-11) beat the sixth-seeded Polytechnic Fighting Blue Jays (31-11) 1-0 in the third game of the NCAA Division III Softball Regional being hosted by Ithaca College. Lebanon Valley will play the winner of Thursday's Ithaca-Dickinson game Friday at 4 p.m.; Polytechnic will take on the loser of that game in an elimination game.
Junior shortstop Meagan Donoghue drove in the game's only run with a one-out home run in the sixth inning, breaking up a pitching duel between Lebanon Valley junior Laura Snyder and Polytechnic freshman Miranda Merilli.
Snyder, now 14-5 on the year, struck out 14 batters -- two short of her career high. She allowed four hits and one walk and worked out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings.
In the sixth, senior Ryan Graybill (pictured) and freshman Elizabeth Shrandt hit one-out singles but Snyder put away the next two hitters.
Graybill's hit tied Polytechnic's career record. In the seventh, freshman catcher
Natalie Stockinger walked to lead off the inning and a sacrifice bunt by junior left fielder
Tara Bucci moved freshman pinch-runner
Catherine Mistretta to second before
Snyder retired the final two Blue Jays.
Merilli gave up five hits in the complete-game effort and didn't walk a batter. Junior left fielder
Katie Freeman had two of Lebanon Valley's five hits.
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