VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Wilkes University softball team dropped a pair of games at the Beach Blast Tournament to open the 2009 season. The first game saw the Lady Colonels fall to Lynchburg College 12-3 before dropping a 3-1 decision to Frostburg State. 

 

In the first game, Erin Plank (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) hit a two-run homer, driving in MeLisa Bracone (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem East), who walked, but it wouldn't offset the grand slam Lynchburg hit earlier in the game. In the fifth inning, Kerry Finnerty (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) hit a double before Amanda Holston (Georgetown, Del./Sussex Central) followed with an RBI double for the third run of the game. 

 

In the second game, Lindsay Behrenshausen (Mt. Holly Springs/Boiling Springs) was impressive in the circle, giving up just two hits while collecting seven strikeouts in four scoreless innings in the no decision. 

 

Bracone led off the second inning with a single and would later advance to second on a passed ball. Cori Saltzer (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin East) would eventually single driving in Bracone to give the Lady Colonels a 1-0 lead. They would keep the lead until Frostburg battled back with two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. 

 

Saltzer finished the game with a pair of hits and a RBI while Holston hit her second double of the day. 

 

They will remain in action tomorrow when Wilkes faces Virginia-Wise and Christopher Newport in day two of the tournament.