Utica and Fisher Win Two; Ithaca Splits; Stevens and Houghton Lose Twice
UTICA v HAMTILON
The Utica College softball team defeated cross-town rival Hamilton College, 2-0 and 9-1, Tuesday afternoon. Junior Meghan Matan led the Pioneers going 5-for-5 in the two games.
Utica 2, Hamilton 0 – Softball Game One Final
Utica freshman shortstop Alysa Russell drilled a two-run home run with Mallory Ingalls on base in the bottom of the fourth inning to account for both of the Pioneers runs in the 2-0 victory in game one. Freshman pitcher Erica Colucci struck out nine batters in the complete-game shutout for the Pioneers. Colucci, who did not allow a hit in the final two innings, improved her record to 3-1 on the year and it was the fifth home run of the season for Russell. Nine strike outs for Colucci was just two shy of her career-best.
The Pioneers totaled seven hits in the game one victory. Matan went 3-for-3, while Chelsea Monroe, Dominique Carcone and Ingalls each registered one hit a piece.
Freshman Olivia Gozdz tallied three of the Continentals six hits in game one. Sophomore Kelly Leonard pitched six full innings for the Continentals to see her record move to 4-9 on the year.
Utica 9, Hamilton 1 (5 innings)- Game Two Final
The Pioneers jumped out to an early lead as Chelsea Monroe hit a leadoff homer run, her third of the season, in the bottom of the first. UC went on to add six more runs in the inning to take a 7-0 lead.
Freshman Cassie Smith ended the game by way of the run rule in the bottom of the fifth as she singled to center field, scoring Dominique Carcone and Alysa Russell.
Russell, Carcone, and Courtney Fitzgerald each went 2-for-3 while Bridgette Plummer also added a hit. Olivia Gozdz went 3-for-3 to lead the Continentals.
Sophomore Briona Enny struck out two in five innings to improve to 5-1 on the season. The Pioneers turn right around as they host Oswego State Wednesday afternoon. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.
ST. JOHN FISHER v HOUGHTON
The St. John Fisher College softball team swept provisional Empire 8 Conference member Houghton College on Tuesday. Fisher, now 16-8 overall, won both games in shutout fashion taking game one 8-0 in five innings and game two 7-0. Houghton falls to 1-13 on the year.
Game One: Fisher 8, Houghton 0 (5 innings)
The Cardinals split up their scoring between the second and fourth innings, posting an identical four runs in each.
Sarah Fordyce got her team started with a solo shot in the second, clearing the right center wall. With
Lindsey Holtz reaching on a walk,
Kaylee Tallman drove in the second run with a deep double to left field. Two batters later,
Meghan Burns made it 4-0 with a two-out, two RBI double to left center.
In the fourth, Burns picked up her third RBI of the day, bringing in
Kate Disbrow who led off with a double. Then, with Burns and
Lauren Owens on,
Leanne Merchant extended her hitting streak to 17-consecutive games with a three-run homer that just cleared the center field wall.
That would be the end of the scoring for Fisher, as
Lauren Wesolowski shutdown the Highlanders to earn her fourth win of the year. Wesolowski sent six down on strikes while allowing just three hits and one walk.
Game Two: Fisher 7, Houghton 0
Another big inning was again the difference for Fisher, who posted six runs in the third inning. After
Krista Robarge led off with a double, Burns picked up another RBI to open the scoring. With Burns and
Jessie Smyrski on base,
Kayla Goodberlet singled to center field to make it 3-0.
A Fordyce double brought Goodberlet home, and two more runs were scored after
Jessica D'Angelo's pop-up was dropped by the second baseman.
Up 6-0, the Cardinals added an insurance run in the fifth inning after
Olivia Fusilli pinch hit. Her double to right field brought in first baseman
Jazzi Chadwick to make it 7-0.
Danielle Leone picked up the win for the Cardinals, while
Sarah Stefanon and
Halie Schoff also saw time in the circle.
Fisher will return to action at 3 p.m. on Wednesday when it travels to Keuka College for a nonconference doubleheader.
ITHACA v CORTLAND
The Ithaca College softball team split a pair of games in a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Cortland (11-11) and each game ended in dramatic fashion. The Bombers won a 6-5 game in nine innings in the first contest, then dropped a 1-0 game with the lone run coming in the bottom of the last inning of game two. The Bombers (13-7) return to conference play this weekend hosting doubleheaders against Nazareth on Saturday and St. John Fisher on Sunday.
Ithaca 6, Cortland 5 (9 inn.)
The Bombers trailed 3-1 going to the last inning, but scored four runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead.
Carianne D'Alessandro (Bound Brook, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) delivered a two-run double to tie the score, and the Bombers added runs on RBI hits by
Jennifer Biondi (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) and
Sydney Folk (Long Beach/Long Beach). The Red Dragons tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Ithaca took the lead in the top of the ninth when Biondi ripped a line drive off of the third baseman's glove down the left field line to bring home
Jenna Tambasco (Sparta, N.J./Lenape Valley).
Laura Quicker (West Islip, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) earned the victory in the circle in relief of Ithaca starter
Sam Bender (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy). Quicker pitched the final two innings, allowing two hits with one strikeout and improved to 1-1 on the year. Bender scattered 14 hits over seven innings with one strikeout. Biondi was 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the game.
Rachel Dell'Orto (East Islip/East Islip) and
Jenna Tambasco (Sparta, N.J./Lenape Valley) each scored two runs.
Cortland 1, Ithaca 0
A pitcher's duel in the second game saw the teams combine for just eight hits over seven innings. Cortland scored the decisive run in the bottom of the seventh following a leadoff double followed by a single later in the inning.
Julianne Vincent (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) had two hits for Ithaca, Biondi had a double and
Casey Gavin (Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan) had a base hit for Ithaca.
Allison Macari (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) pitched very well with three strikeouts and no walks in 6.1 innings.
STEVENS v FDU-FLORHAM
The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team kicked off its final home stand of the season against Fairleigh Dickinson-College at Florham on Tuesday afternoon, dropping both games of the doubleheader, 8-7 and 9-5.
FDU-Florham improves to 13-9 on the season while Stevens drops to 2-22.
FDU-Florham 8, Stevens 7
The Devils threatened to score early as they put runners on first and second base with just one out, but a sharp lineout to second and a groundout to shortstop got sophomore
Brianna Sandone (Haddon Township, N.J.) out of the inning.
Junior shortstop
Danielle DeFeo (Andover, N.J.) led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and was joined on base by freshman left fielder
Gavriella Risman-Jones(New Boston, N.H.) on another single, but the heart of the order could not bring either home. A double play ended the top of the second inning for the Devils and the Ducks nearly capitalized as freshman second baseman
Sydney Spitz (Shelton, Conn.) singled with two outs, stole second base and advanced to third on an errant throw by the catcher, but a sharp grounder kept the Ducks off the board.
FDU-Florham put runners on first and second in the top of the third inning but again were unable to score. This time, Stevens took advantage of another DeFeo leadoff single. DeFeo stole second, knocking the ball out of the second baseman's glove as she slid into the bag, and slid under the tag at third to put runners on the corners with just one out. Freshman right fielder
Kelsey Dempsey (Broomfield, Colo.) also stole second on the next pitch, and senior catcher
Clair Strom (El Paso, Texas) singled both in on a sharp liner off the third baseman's glove to put the Ducks up, 2-0.
Both pitchers retired the side in the fourth inning, but the Devils pushed three runs across the plate in the top of the fifth to take a one-run lead. Senior Karla Babb (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) singled, stole second and advanced to third base on a passed ball with just one out, then scored on a single by freshman centerfielder Jenna Appello (Forked River, N.J.). The Devils got runners to second and third base, still with one out, and scored both on a sacrifice fly and throwing error on a stolen base attempt.
Stevens responded immediately as Strom brought Dempsey home on a double and sophomore first baseman
Noelle Mulligan (Staten Island, N.Y.) drove in two more on another double, putting the Ducks up 5-3.
The lead was short-lived, however, as FDU-Florham loaded the bases on a single up the middle, an error on a fielder's choice and a well-placed bunt for Appello to clear them with a grand slam, giving FDU-Florham the 7-5 lead.
Spitz led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single and reached third base, but with two outs the Ducks could not get her home. The Devils then tacked on what would prove to be the game-winning run in the top of the seventh, scoring on a throwing error to go up 8-5. The Ducks got two back in the bottom of the frame as Strom belted a two-run homer to straightaway center, but a trio of groundouts left Stevens one run short.
Strom led the Ducks at the plate, going 3-4 with a double, home run, two runs and five RBI. DeFeo and Risman-Jones each had multi-hit games as well, while Dempsey scored three runs. DeFeo and Dempsey also stole one base each while Spitz swiped two. Sandone allowed just one earned run in suffering the loss.
FDU-Florham 9, Stevens 5
FDU-Florham jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second inning, loading the bases with just one out and pushing three runs across the plate on a pair of singles and a walk. The Devils added two more in the third inning and another in the fourth to go up by eight before the Ducks finally got on the board.
Needing at least one run to extend the game, Stevens loaded the bases with just one out in the bottom of the fifth and scored twice on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. FDU-Florham got a leadoff home run from junior designated player Sarah Lima (Stanfordville, N.Y.) in the top of the sixth inning to make the score 9-2, but the Ducks got three more back in the bottom of the frame. Spitz tripled with one out and came home on a sacrifice bunt by senior centerfielder
Lauren Hurley (Sparta, N.J.) and Dempsey drove in DeFeo and Risman-Jones on a triple of her own three batters later. The Ducks could not get anything going in the seventh inning, however, falling 9-5.
Dempsey and Risman-Jones each recorded multi-hit games, with Dempsey also drawing a walk and knocking in three runs while Risman-Jones doubled and scored once. DeFeo was 1-3 with a walk and two runs while Hurley went 0-1 with a walk, run, RBI and stolen base. Senior
Molly Herforth (Pompton Plains, N.J.) took the loss in the circle, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits and seven walks while striking out four in five innings. Sandone surrendered just one hit and one walk while whiffing two in her two innings pitched.