Freshman Kelsey Dempsey Breaks Out as Stevens Falls in Doubleheader at Whittier
Mark Becker
WHITTIER, Calif. (March 13, 2013) – Freshman catcher
Kelsey Dempsey (Broomfield, Colo.) enjoyed her collegiate breakout as the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team fell, 11-3 and 17-8, in a doubleheader at Whittier College on Wednesday afternoon. The Ducks offense more than doubled its previous season high of three runs and matched its season total of eight in Game Two, including a six-run second inning that put them ahead by two.
Whittier improves to 10-4 with the pair of victories while Stevens drops to 0-8.
Whittier 11, Stevens 3
The Poets took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly following a triple, but Stevens had an answer in the top of the second. The Ducks loaded the bases on a walk, hit-by-pitch and single, then scored a pair of runs on errors and a third on a fielder’s choice to take a 3-1 lead.
It would not last long, however, as Whittier loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the frame and kept the base paths crowded, singling and walking their way to seven runs and an 8-3 lead.
The Poets tacked on another run on an error with the bases loaded in the third inning and a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth ended the game, 11-3.
Dempsey picked up the Ducks’ only hit in the game and scored one run while junior shortstop
Danielle DeFeo (Andover, N.J.) made five assists in the field. Senior
Molly Herforth (Pompton Plains, N.J.) took the loss, giving up nine earned runs over four innings and striking out two hitters.
Junior right fielder Mickala Gonzales (Vista, Calif.) led the Poets, going 2-3 with a walk, two runs, five RBI and one home run. Junior Courtney DeLano (Riverside, Calif.) picked up her fifth win of the season after surrendering no earned runs on just one hit and one walk while striking out five over five innings.
Whittier 17, Stevens 8
Dempsey reached base on a hit-by-pitch in the top of the first inning of Game Two, but with two outs would not advance. Whittier quickly built on the momentum from Game One, scoring four runs in the bottom of the frame, three of which came on a home run by sophomore shortstop Mercedez Cundiff (Rowland, Calif.).
Stevens showed incredible resilience for the second time of the day, however, in the top of the second inning. Another hit-by-pitch, botched handle on a sacrifice bunt and single later, the Ducks had the bases loaded with no outs. Some small ball pushed six runs across before the Poets could get out of the inning, trailing 6-4.
Sophomore
Brianna Sandone (Haddon Township, N.J.) held the Poets scoreless in the bottom of the second, but the Ducks were shut out themselves in the third inning and Whittier finally exploded in the bottom of the third, tallying 10 runs to go up 14-6.
Stevens got one back on a solo shot from Dempsey in the next inning, but Whittier put up three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the 17-7 lead. Still with a chance to get back within eight runs and extend the game, Stevens picked one up on a wild pitch with the bases loaded and one out, but a pair of pop-ups ended the Ducks’ hopes.
Dempsey was 1-2 with a walk, hit-by-pitch, one home run, two runs and one RBI. DeFeo went 2-3 with a walk, run and RBI while freshman second baseman
Sydney Spitz (Shelton, Conn.) was 1-2 with a hit-by-pitch and two runs. Sandone took the loss in just 2.1 innings, with Herforth giving up the final two earned runs over 1.2 innings in relief.
Sophomore catcher Samantha Mellano (Fullerton, Calif.) was a perfect 4-4 with a home run, four runs and four RBI while Cundiff went 2-2 with a pair of walks, four runs, four RBI and two homers. Senior Jessica Rosnack (Roseville, Calif.) picked up the win, allowing only one earned run on seven hits and a walk while striking out four hitters in four innings. Sophomore Heather Salisbury (Anaheim, Calif.) gave up one run on a hit and a walk in the final inning.
Head Coach Erica Mehalick and the Ducks will look to bounce back with their first wins of the season as they face No. 11 University of Redlands (12-4) on Friday, March 15 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (5 and 7 p.m. Eastern).