Elmira, Ithaca and Alfred Start Conference Play with Wins
Elmira 1, Utica 0
Elmira 4, Utica 0
Junior Alex Puglisi threw two shut outs to lead the Elmira College Softball team to victory over the Utica College Pioneers, 1-0 and 4-0, Saturday afternoon at Eldridge Park Stadium.
In game one it was a pitchers dual between
Puglisi and Utica’s Abby Monroe. Both teams got looks to score in the fifth and sixth innings, but both pitchers were locked in to shut down the offensive opportunities. In the bottom of the seventh Mikayla Bean
started off EC on the right track hitting a blooper over the shortstops head. Megan Anderson came through with a single to get two runners on base for EC. Then Sarah Johnson
stepped up to the plate hitting a walk off single to score Bean and end the game.
In game two Puglisi continued her dominance as she held the Pioneers to four hits. The EC offense came to life in the bottom of the fourth when Bean hit a double down the left field line. After a sacrifice bunt by Anderson and Utica defensive trouble’s Bean scored for the 1-0 lead. Later in the inning Alex Andrade ’13
was able to give EC a 2-0 lead when Katie Day ’16
hit a liner to right center field. The Soaring Eagles stretched out their lead in bottom of the sixth when Abby Coyne ’16
and
Day each hit RBI singles to make it 4-0.
Puglisi pitched 14 scoreless innings allowing six hits, while striking out 15 batters. Monroe pitched in game one for Utica going six innings, allowing one run, and three hits. Erica Colucci and Briona Enny split time on the mound for the Pioneers during game two. Colucci went three and two-third innings allowing four hits, and two runs while striking out four batters. Enny finished the rest of the game allowing two runs and four hits.
Ithaca 7, Stevens 0
Ithaca 11, Stevens 0
The Ithaca College softball team returned to action for the first time in two weeks and posted back-to-back convincing shutouts at Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday at the Weehawken Waterfront. The Bombers won the first game 7-0 and the second game 11-0 in a game that was shortened to five innings due to run rule.
In the first game, the Bombers scored three runs in the top of the first and never looked back. They added a single run in the third, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth. The first-inning rally all came with two outs, started with a solo home run from
Sydney Folk (Long Beach/Long Beach) and was followed later in the inning with a two-run double by
Rachel Dell'Orto (East Islip/East Islip).
Folk finished the game with three hits, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Kelly Robichaud (Vernon, Conn./East Catholic) had a double and an RBI, and
Jennifer Biondi (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls)scored twice with an RBI.
Starting pitcher
Sam Bender (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) scattered eight hits in a shutout, her third individual shutout of her career and second of the season. She had two strikeouts and induced 14 groundouts.
In the second game, Brooke Powers (Newton, N.J./Pope John XXIII) and
Julianne Vincent (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) each homered as part of an 11-hit attack that yielded 11 runs in the inning-shortened second game.
Casey Gavin (Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan) was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored to spark the Ithaca offense. Powers and Vincent had two hits each.
The Bombers scored one run in the first and added five in the second, highlighted by a three-run homer from Powers.
Allison Macari (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) allowed just three hits and two walks over five innings. She had two strikeouts in her first-career shutout.
Alfred 8, Nazareth 0
Alfred 8, Nazareth 3
The Alfred University softball team opened Empire 8 Conference play with a doubleheader sweep at Nazareth Saturday afternoon.
Alfred won the first game, 8-1, as sophomore Jessica O’Sullivan pitched seven strong innings and freshman leftfielder Nora Passuite stroked a pair of doubles. In the second contest, freshman shortstop Nicole Maher hit a pair of two-run homeruns as the Saxons claimed an 8-3 victory.
In the opener, AU plated single runs in the first, second and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead. Nazareth (2-10, 0-2 Empire 8) scored a run in the bottom of the fourth but Alfred regained its three-run advantage with a run in the fifth, then broke the game open with four in the top of the sixth.
In the second game, Nazareth took an early lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but AU answered with two of its own in the second. Alfred plated four in the third, with two coming on Maher’s first round-tripper, to take a 6-2 lead. Nazareth scored a single run in the third before Maher’s second homer, in the sixth, closed out the scoring.
St. John Fisher v RIT
The St. John Fisher College softball team posted 30 runs over 11 innings to sweep the visiting Rochester Insititute of Technology Tigers on Saturday afternoon. The two wins improve Fisher to 9-7 on the season, while the Tigers fall to 5-7 overall.
Houghton
Houghton completed its spring break trip to Floriday on Saturday. The Highlanders lost to the University of Chicago 13-0 and then scored three runs in the 12-3 loss to Luther College.