Lock Haven used a rookie/veteran combo to win its first Division II softball title.

The Eagles parlayed the pitching of freshman Kristin Erb and the hitting of senior Julie Robitaille into a 3-0 win over Emporia State in the title game of the Division II Softball Championship May 22 at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.

Lock Haven managed only three hits against Hornets starter Melissa Stevens, but one of them was Robitaille’s two-run home run in the second inning. That was all Erb needed. The tournament’s most outstanding player pitched a complete game and fanned eight. She finished the tournament with four wins, 29 strikeouts and a 0.26 earned-run average.

Lock Haven’s Heather Johnson led off the home half of the second with a walk and crossed the plate ahead of Robitaille’s 11th homer of the season. Ironically, it also was Robitaille’s first hit of the tournament.

“I knew (Emporia State pitcher Stevens) liked the outside corner,” Robitaille said. “I just took the advice of my coaches and went with the pitch.”

The Eagles added a run when first baseman Ilia Lopez walked, stole second, advanced to third on a single by catcher Amanda Roosa and scored on a two-out infield hit by right fielder Julia Popovich. 

The Eagles snuffed several Emporia State threats. First baseman Jennifer Dace singled with one out in the fourth but Roosa threw her out at second trying to steal. Hornets second baseman Chelsea McClernon singled with one out in the sixth but was doubled off first after Johnson snagged Dace’s line drive.

While Lock Haven won the championship game with only three hits, the Eagles needed just two to advance to the title game with a 2-1 win over Florida Southern. One was a home run from left fielder Steph Nail.

Emporia State advanced after rallying to beat Cal State Bakersfield, 4-1. The Hornets belted six home runs during the tournament, three by designated player Channon Nitz, but they managed just four singles off Erb (36-1) in the final.

Stevens finished with seven strikeouts and three walks in six innings of work. She dropped to 30-4 on the season.

Both pitchers were named to the all-tournament team.

Game No. 1

Le Moyne       000     00 — 0           2          2 

Fla. Southern 620     0x — 8            8          0

Sarah Reed, Martha Senko (3) and Kristen DesLauriers; Megan Brown, Stacey Bronson (4) and Leah English. W — Brown; L — Reed. HR — English (FS).

Game No. 2

GC&SU          000     100 — 1         3          3

Emporia St.   000     252 — 9         10        2

Mandy Chandler, Libby Kidd (5) and Shelbie Lindsey; Melissa Stevens, Courtney Reed (6) and Courtney Stevens. W — Stevens; L — Chandler. HR — Chelsea McClernon (ES), Bree Beattie (ES), Channon Nitz (ES).

Game No. 3

Central Okla.  000     100     0 — 1  4          4

Cal St. Bakersfield    000     042     x — 6  10        1

Alli Blake, Jordan Akin (6) and Emilee Bounds; Christie Hill and Hilary Taylor. W — Hill; L — Blake.

Game No. 4

Lock Haven    032     035 — 13       13        3 

SIU Edwardsville       001     000 —  1        5          2

Kristin Erb and Amanda Roosa; Kaitlin Colosimo, Sabra McCune (4) and Libby Lenart. W — Erb; L— McCune.

Game No. 5

Le Moyne       000     001     0 — 1  4          1

GC&SU          112     020     1 — 7  12        0

Sarah Reed, Martha Senko (4), Caylinn Christopherson (6) and Kriten DesLauriers; Mandy Chandler and Shelbie Lindsey. W — Chandler; L — Reed. HR — Keidra Baitey (GC&SU).

Game No. 6

Central Okla.  000     011     0 — 2  9          0

SIU Edwardsville       000     000     0 — 0  5          0

Alli Blake, Jordan Akin (6) and Emilee Bounds; Sabra McCune and Libby Lenart. W — Blake; L — McCune. HR — Bounds (CO).

Game No. 7

Fla. Southern 000     000     000     01 — 1           6          0

Emporia St.   000     000     000     00 — 0           4          1

Megan Brown and Leah English; Courtney Reed, Melissa Stevens (4) and Courtney Stevens. W — Brown; L — Stevens.

Game No. 8

Lock Haven    010     001     0 — 2  6          1

Cal St. Bakersfield    000     000     0 — 0  3          1

Kristin Erb and Amanda Roosa; Melissa Wooldridge and Hilary Taylor. W — Erb; L — Wooldridge. HR — Sarah Norris (LH).

Game No. 9

Emporia St.   100     002     01 — 4           9          3

Central Okla.  100     200     00 — 3           6          2

Melissa Stevens, Courtney Reed (7) and Courtney Stevens; Alli Blake, Jordan Akin (7) and Emilee Bounds. W — Stevens; L — Akin. HR — Channon Nitz (ES), Alley Roberts (CO).

Game No. 10

GC&SU          000     010     0 — 1  5          0 

Cal St. Bakersfield    002     010     x - 3     6          1

Libby Kidd, Mandy Chandler (5) and Shelbie Lindsey; Christie Hill and Hilary Taylor. W — Hill; L — Kidd. HR — Casey Allen (GC&SU).

Game No. 11

Emporia St.   000     210     1 — 4  5          1

Cal St. Bakersfield    100     000     0 — 1  3          1

Melissa Stevens and Courtney Stevens; Melissa Wooldridge, Christie Hill (7) and Hilary Taylor. W — Stevens; L — Wooldridge. HR — Megan Davison (ES), Channon Nitz (ES).

Game No. 12

Fla. Southern 000     100     0 — 1  4          0 

Lock Haven    001     010     x — 2  2          1

Stacey Bronson and Leah English; Kristin Erb and Amanda Roosa. W — Erb; L — Bronson. HR — Steph Nail (LH).

Game No. 13

Fla. Southern 000     100     0 — 1  1          0 

Emporia St.   000     010     1 — 2  4          1

Stacey Bronson, Megan Brown (6) and Leah English; Melissa Stevens and Courtney Stevens. W — Stevens; L — Brown.

Championship game

Emporia St.   000     000     0 — 0              4          0

Lock Haven    030     000     x — 3              3          1

E — Norris. DP — Lock Haven 1. LOB — Lock Haven 3, Emporia St. 2. HR — Robitallie. SH — Norris. SB — Popovich, Lopez, Roosa. CS — Dace, Viola.

Emporia St.   IP         H         R         ER       BB       SO      AB       BF

Mellisa Stevens (L)   6.0       3          3          3          3          7          20        24

Lock Haven    IP         H         R         ER       BB       SO      AB       BF

Kristin Erb      7.0       4          0          0          0          8          23        23

Umpires — Dave Whitford, Laura Nesteriak, Christie Cornwell. Attendance — 455.