The Lancaster Bible College softball team opened its 2017 season in Virginia Beach, Va. on Friday and Saturday as the Chargers dropped both games on Friday, but rebounded to win twice on Saturday. 

Baruch 6, Lancaster Bible 5
How it Happened: The 2017 season opener was knotted at 1-1 through four innings, but Baruch scored five times in the top of the fifth to take a 6-1 lead. Lancaster Bible got two of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth, one on a home run from senior Julia D'Arrigo and the other after sophomore Samantha Denson and McKayla Smucker each doubled. 

With two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, senior Kelsey Collins hammered a double to bring the Chargers to within one, 6-5, but after Elorah Starr pinch ran for Collins, she was stranded on second as the Chargers could not bring home the tying run.

By the Numbers: D'Arrigo was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI...Collins was 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Denson also added two hits and an RBI...Junior Kayla Thoune was 1-for-3 and scored a run...The hit and run were the first in the collegiate career of Thoune...Collins pitched for the Chargers, giving up five earned runs and striking out six.

Information Hodge Podge: This was the first meeting between the two teams...Since bringing softball back prior to the 2014 season, Lancaster Bible has won its season opener just once, that coming in the 2015 season when the Chargers defeated St. Lawrence, 4-3 to open the year.

RIT 10, Lancaster Bible 2 (6 innings)
How it Happened: RIT scored five times in the first two innings and never looked back, defeating the Chargers in six innings. Lancaster Bible managed just five hits, while the Tigers had 12. The Chargers struck out nine times, but did draw four walks, including two by freshman Martina McCauley.

By the Numbers: Sophomore Morgan Burkholder was 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Denson was 2-for-3...D'Arrigo had the other Lancaster Bible hit as she was 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Information Hodge Podge: This was also the first meeting between the teams...The loss marked the third time in four seasons the Chargers have started the season 0-2.

Lancaster Bible 3, SUNY Cobleskill 1
How it Happened: Playing early on Saturday morning, the Chargers and Fighting Tigers played a close game through seven innings as the Chargers won their first game of the season. SUNY Cobleskill opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as the Fighting Tigers got on the board thanks to an unearned run. 

The Chargers didn't answer until the top of the fourth as McCauley doubled home Burkholder with two outs to tie the game at 1-1. Lancaster Bible took the lead for good in the top of the fifth as Denson and Thoune hit back-to-back RBI singles to give the Chargers a 3-1 lead. 

After retiring 12 straight batters from the third to the sixth, Collins allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in the last of the seventh and after an out, another runner reached base, putting runners at the corners with one out. SUNY Cobleskill tried a double steal, but the runner on third was thrown out at home for the second out. It proved to be a big out for Lancaster Bible as the Fighting Tigers' next hitter smacked a double to put runners on second and third with two outs, but Collins again worked out of a jam and got the final batter to pop out to Denson.

By the Numbers: Each team had five hits, as the Chargers were led by sophomore  Zoie Senn who went 2-for-3 with a walk...Denson, Thoune and McCauley had the other hits for Lancaster Bible...Collins went the distance for the Chargers as she scattered five hits and struck out six batters.

Information Hodge Podge: SUNY Cobleskill, a North Eastern Athletic Conference North Division team, is the first NEAC North Division team the Chargers have played since returning softball to varsity status in 2014...The North and South Divisions do not play one another in softball during the regular season and because the Chargers have not qualified for the postseason since 2014, Saturday marked the first time Lancaster Bible has played a NEAC North Division opponent. 

Lancaster Bible 8, Notre Dame (Md.) 3
How it Happened: With the game tied at 2-2 in the fifth inning, Lancaster Bible broke it open, scoring six runs in the bottom of the inning to grab an 8-2 lead and the would win, 8-3 just two innings later. Lancaster Bible had six hits in the decisive inning and benefited from two Gator errors as well. Burkholder, McCauley, freshman Caitlin March, Senn and D'Arrigo had RBIs in the inning as Lancaster Bible had its biggest inning of the young season.

By the Numbers: Zoie Senn was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI for the Chargers who pounded 10 hits...Collins was 2-for-4 with an run scored and an RBI, while D'Arrigo was 1-for-4 with two RBI...Denson was 2-for-4 with a run scored, while March was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI...Smucker was 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Burkholder was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI...McCauley started for the Chargers, while Collins came in during the fourth and earned her second win of the season.

Information Hodge Podge: This was the first meeting between the two teams...Lancaster Bible scored at least eight runs in a game 14 times last season.

Up Next: Lancaster Bible will have a week of practice at home before heading to Clermont, Fla. next weekend for spring break...The Chargers will play eight games in Florida, including two against SUNY Geneseo.