Stevens Drops Home Opening Doubleheader to Ramapo
Mark Becker
WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (March 27, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology hosted Ramapo College in the Ducks’ home-opening doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon, falling in both games, 10-8 and 10-0 (5 inn.).
Ramapo improves to 7-5 this spring with the pair of victories while Stevens drops to 1-13.
Ramapo 10, Stevens 8
The Roadrunners jumped on the board immediately in the first inning of Game One as senior catcher Lisa Orlando (Bloomfield, N.J.) crushed a three-run homer off sophomore
Brianna Sandone (Haddon Township, N.J.). Sandone settled down and to allow just one base runner (on an error) over the next two innings, giving Stevens the chance to pull ahead in the bottom of the third.
Senior centerfielder
Lauren Hurley (Sparta, N.J.) drew a leadoff walk and moved to third base on a single by freshman left fielder
Gavriella Risman-Jones (New Boston, N.H.), who promptly stole second. Junior shortstop
Danielle DeFeo (Andover, N.J.) then added to her team-leading RBI count with a single to left field which scored Hurley while DeFeo and Risman-Jones each advanced a base on the throw. Two batters later freshman right fielder
Kelsey Dempsey (Broomfield, Colo.) smashed a double into the gap to score both runners, and came home herself on a single up the middle by junior third baseman
Stephanie Senkevich (Washington, N.J.) to give Stevens the 4-3 lead.
The Roadrunners responded right away, doubling in four runs in the top of the fourth to regain the three-run edge. The Ducks had an answer of their own in the bottom of the inning, as a leadoff walk and double chased junior Harley Masiello (West Milford, N.J.) from the game. Hurley brought a run home one a sacrifice fly and Risman-Jones doubled in another in the next at-bat to pull within one. Finally, Dempsey sent a single up the middle to bring Risman-Jones home and tie the game at 7-7.
Ramapo nearly regained the lead in the top of the fifth, but a relay throw from Risman-Jones in left field reached home in time to tag out the runner and Sandone got out of the inning unscathed. The Roadrunners did manage to retake the lead in the sixth, however, as sophomore centerfielder Jaclyn Lima (Linden, N.J.) drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, from where she scored on a single to go up 8-7. A two-run homer in the next at-bat made the score 10-7 in Ramapo’s favor, and the Ducks were only able to get one back on comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh, finally falling 10-8.
DeFeo was 2-3 with a walk, run and RBI out of the leadoff spot while Dempsey went 2-4 with a double, run and three RBI. Sophomore first baseman
Noelle Mulligan (Staten Island, N.Y.) was 1-2 with two walks, a run and RBI and Risman-Jones finished 2-4 with a double, two runs, an RBI and her fifth stolen base of the season.
Junior left fielder Caitlin Smith (Hawthorne, N.J.) was 2-5 with a home run, two runs and two RBI for the Roadrunners while sophomore right fielder Taylor Boffalo (Paramus, N.J.) went 2-3 with a double, walk, run and RBI and freshman designated player Tess Sala (Islip, N.Y.) was 2-3 with a double, run and RBI. Lima and senior second baseman Amanda Kent (Sparta, N.J.) each swiped two bases. Masiello allowed six earned runs over three innings while Isenberg fared better, surrendering just two earned runs and picking up the win over her four innings.
Ramapo 10, Stevens 0
Game Two saw the Roadrunners jump out to another early lead, loading the bases with no outs and scoring two runs on a walk and hit-by-pitch. Ramapo tacked on three more on singles down the left field line and up the middle to lead 5-0.
The Ducks had a chance to score in the bottom of the second, loading the bases with just one out, but a play at the plate and strikeout ended the inning. Ramapo increased the lead to six with a leadoff home run in the third inning and made it 10-0 in the fifth, after which Stevens was unable to get the three necessary runs to prolong the game.
Stevens managed just three hits, a walk and one hit-by-pitch, with Sandone picking up her second loss of the day in the circle.
Sophomore right fielder Melanie Eskin (Bergenfield, N.J.) led the Roadrunners in going 2-3 with a run and three RBI while freshman designated player Erin Witherspoon (West Milford, N.J.) went 1-2 with a walk, two runs, two RBI and a homer. Junior Nicole Schneider (Hillsdale, N.J.) was credited with the win in the complete game shutout, striking out two over her five innings.
Head Coach Erica Mehalick and the Ducks will look to bounce back on Saturday, March 30 as they host Empire 8 rival Ithaca College (5-5), which began the season ranked No. 21 in the preseason poll.