ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University Softball team grabbed both ends of a non-conference doubleheader against their cross-county rivals, Widener University on Wednesday afternoon. They won game one, 6-5 in walk-off fashion, before taking game two, 8-0 in five innings.
 
Emily Ammon led the way by hitting 5 for 6 with a walk, seven steals, and three runs scored. Dakota Marshall was 5 for 7 with two runs batted in and three runs scored. Tori Spinella was 4 for 6 with four RBI and a run.
 
In game one, Ammon led off the bottom of the first inning with an infield single. She quickly stole second and third, then scored on a Marshall RBI single. Marshall followed with steals of second and third and she was driven home by a Faith Weaver RBI single, making it 2-0.
 
Widener followed in the second with a two-run double, a bases-loaded walk, and an RBI fielder's choice. In the top of the third, they added an RBI single for a 5-2 lead. Neumann clawed back in the bottom of the inning. With one away, Marina Costello smashed a double to center and moved to third on an infield hit by Natalie Jairdullo. Spinella pushed the Knights' deficit to one with a two-run single to make it 5-4.
 
In the fourth, with two outs, Emily Ammon drew a walk. She stole second and then third, earning her sixth stolen base of the game, breaking the Neumann program record for steals in a single game, originally set in 1998 by Kim Bauer, and tied by Katie Tobin in 2004.
 
The game went scoreless until the seventh inning. With one out, Cioni Simmons walked, Marshall singled, and Costello walked to load the bases. Ellie Zarnawski hit a grounder to third and the throw came into the plate, but Simmons scored on an error to tie the game. N. Jairdullo followed with a bunt to the pitcher, but Marshall was ruled out and the game continued. Spinella ended the game with a hit to short with pinch-runner, Taylor Vaugh scoring the winning run.
 
Rebecca DiLeo got the win in relief to improve her record to 6-4. She went 4.1 innings of shutout ball, allowing two hits while striking out two.
 
Game two started off with a 1-2-3 first inning on both sides. In the second, Costello led off with a single and moved to second on a successful sacrifice bunt by DiLeo. After moving to third on a Mashall single, Costello scored on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Spinella plated Marshall to double the lead.
 
In the third inning, Ammon led off with a single and stole second for her 32^nd of the season and 99^th of her career. A sacrifice bunt by Gracie Jairdullo moved her to third and she scored on a Zarnawski single to make it 3-0.
 
The Knights broke the game open in the fourth and they sent 11 to the plate. It started with a single by Marshall, then N. Jairdullo reached on an error, and Spinella loaded the bases with a bunt base hit. After a foul out, Ammon plated Marshall with an RBI single. G. Jairdullo followed with a sacrifice fly to score her sister. Zarnawski reloaded the bases with a single and Costello walked to bring in Spinella. DiLeo and Marshall hit closed the scoring with back-to-back RBI singles to seal the game.
 
Sydney Wright pitched a run-rule shortened complete game for the victory, improving her personal record to 4-4. In five innings, she allowed two hits and three walks while striking out two.
 
Neumann (15-17, 4-4 Atlantic East) have now won four in a row and will look to keep the good results coming when they celebrate Senior Day on Saturday afternoon against Marywood University. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM.