Success on Softball Field
STEVENS
Senior Kayla Berardi struck out 13 and walked none in a 12 inning complete game win against Olivet College, to secure the Thursday sweep for the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team.
Prior to that, the Ducks knocked off Bethany Lutheran College 6-5, dropping the Vikings record to 0-9. The loss was the first of the season for Olivet (10-1), while the 2-0 day moved Stevens to 5-3.
Stevens 6, Bethany Lutheran 5
Junior Brianna Sandone ran into trouble in the first after walking the first two batters of the game, but recovered with three straight groundouts to end the threat without allowing a run. The Ducks capitalized on the momentum in their half of the inning when freshman Emily Sellitti blasted a two-run double over the leftfielders head to score junior Jamie DeGennaro and senior Stephanie Senkevich.
Bethany Lutheran got one run back in the second, and another in the fourth when Gena Chester singled to left to score Rebecca Ludewig. Sandone settled down in the fifth though, retiring the side in order
Stevens regained the lead in the fifth when senior Danielle DeFeo sparked a Stevens rally with a leadoff walk, and scored off a DeGennaro double. The Vikings tried to answer in the sixth after putting runners on first and second with one out, but Sandone struck-out Amanda Sletten before inducing a groundball to end the inning and preserve the lead.
The Ducks secured some insurance in the sixth with three runs off an RBI single from Syndey Spitz to score freshman Kelly Klewicki, followed by a balk from Shannon Heitz to score freshman Amanda DiLeo. Spitz capped the inning by scoring on a wild-pitch to give Stevens the 6-2 lead.
The Vikings didn't go down quietly scoring three runs in the seventh off three hits highlighted by a Ludewig single to bring them to within one. Sandone worked herself out of the trouble once again though, inducing a fly-out to end the game with runners on first and second.
The win was the team-leading third of the year for Sandone, as she struck out three and stranded 10.
Stevens 3, Olivet 2
Olivet threated in the second after back-to-back singles from Terri Hurosky and Lauren Lenard with one out, but Berardi bounced-back with two strikeouts to end the inning. Berardi easily navigated through the lineup in the third, and stranded a runner on second in the fourth to preserve the shut-out.
The Ducks struggled offensively against Olivet ace Ashlynn Grubb who came into the game sporting a 4-0 record, but rallied in the fifth after a one out single from junior Noelle Mulligan. A wild pitch moved Mulligan to second, but Stevens was unable to capitalize as Berardi popped-up to end the inning.
In the sixth, Alyssa Nielsen reached on an error to lead-off and was bunted over to second, but Berardi elevated her game once again and struck out Jessica Palumbo to strand another runner in scoring position.
Stevens rallied in their half of the sixth after sophomore Gavriella Risman-Jones and freshman Jessica Rees reached with no one out, but Grubb responded, retiring three straight including two strikeouts. Olivet came right back in the seventh with a runner on second and two outs, but Klewicki unleashed a cannon from right to DeGennaro who blocked the plate perfectly to tag Christine Wood and preserve the shutout.
Both teams traded zeroes in the seventh and eighth before Olivet pushed across the go-ahead run in the ninth with a single off the bat of Shannon Huntley. The Ducks answered though when DeGennaro ripped a ground-rule double to score Klewicki and tie the game.
Stevens rallied again in the tenth, putting the winning run at third with nobody out, but Grubb bared down and retired three straight to send the game to the eleventh where T. Hurosky singled home A. Nielsen for the go-ahead run. The Ducks answered once again though, with an infield single from Danielle DeFeo to tie the game.
Berardi escaped the twelfth with no damage, setting up the Ducks rally. After the extra inning rule placed Risman-Jones at second to start the inning, Klewicki moved her to third with an infield single. One batter later with two outs, Spitz popped-up a ball to short that was dropped, allowing Risman-Jones to score the winning run.
Mulligan was on base four times for the Ducks with two singles, a double and a walk while DeGennaro finished with a single and a double. The win evened Berardi's record at 2-2.
ITHACA
The Ithaca College softball team kept rolling in the fourth day of the Dot Richardson Spring Games, moving its record to 8-0 on the young season. The Bombers defeated Alvernia by a score of 1-0 before dropping Richard Stockton, 7-4.
Ithaca's first victory of the day came in the form of a 1-0 game against Alvernia. Senior Sam Benderpicked up the win, earning the complete game shutout. Sophomore Kelly Robichaud paced the Bombers with two hits, going 2-for-4 on the day.
The lone run of the ball game came in the bottom of the seventh. With sophomore Casey Gavin at first, junior Nina Lindberg put down a sacrifice bunt. Gavin broke for third on the play, before Alvernia made a bad throw to the bag. Gavin rounded third on the throw and headed for home, beating the ball in a play at the plate for the game winning run.
Ithaca used a little more offense in the second tilt of the day, dropping the Stockton Ospreys by a score of 7-4. Sophomore Laura Quicker earned the start, striking out nine in the victory. Three Bombers recorded multiple hits in the game, with Julianne Vincent, Jessie Fleck and Gavin each going 2-for-4.
NAZARETH
Nazareth banged out a season-best 12 hits Thursday against New Jersey City University to gain a 10-1 victory over the Gothic Knights in the second of two games played at the Cape Coral Sports Complex. Wartburg University of Iowa defeated Nazareth 11-3 in the first game Thursday.
At 3-5 overall, the Golden Flyers conclude their spring trip Friday with games against Pitt.-Bradford at 1 p.m. and Nichols College at 5.
Against NJCU, Nazareth's offensive display was in support of junior Nicole Bayona, who gained her first pitching victory of the season by limiting the opposition to three hits over five innings and striking out three.
Senior Kailey Ritch had three hits in four at bats and sophomore Morgan Ross went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.
Sophomore Carly Pike added a two-run double and had another RBI with a bases loaded walk. Junior Sophia Rhoades batted twice for the Golden Flyers in a seven-run second inning and produced a single and a double and three runs batted in. Through eight games, Rhoades leads the Golden Flyers with a .550 batting average, an .880 slugging percentage and 12 runs batted in.
After falling behind 1-0, Nazareth erupted for seven runs on eight hits in the second inning. Morgan Ross and Maureen Rogers each had run-scoring singles with Pike and Rhoades contributing two-run doubles. Nazareth added two more runs in the third with bases loaded walks to Pike and Rhoades accounting for both runs. Nazareth's 10th run came in the fourth after Cydney Luke led off with a walk and advanced to third on an infield grounder and a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ross.
Nazareth was roughed up by Wartburg in the first game as the Knights banged out 13 hits to score 11 runs. Nazareth scored all three of its runs in the fourth as Rhoades cracked an RBI double and Shauna Bardanis had a two-run double.
ALFRED
The Alfred University softball team split a pair of games Thursday on the fourth day of the Saxons' six-day, 12-game Spring Break trip to Arizona. AU beat Dickinson College, 5-2, then lost 3-2 to Mount Marty College.
AU junior pitcher Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) improved to 4-0 on the year in the win over Dickinson. She went the distance, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out two.
Wickwire helped herself at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. Senior outfielder Samijo Scheer (Corning, NY/Corning East) had a double and scored two runs and freshman first baseman Sophia Chiavatti (Santa Ana, CA/Foothills) was 1-for-1 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored.
Sophomore outfielder Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay) hit two singles in four at-bats and stole a base; freshman third baseman Liz Thompson(Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) hit a single and walked twice; sophomore second baseman Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) hit an RBI single and scored a run; and sophomore shortstop Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) had a single and scored a run.
Chiavatti took the pitching loss in the Mount Marty game, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking two in 2 2/3 innings. Junior Tori Kramp(Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) relieved and went 3 1/3 innings, allowing a run on two hits and a pair of walks.
Wickwire went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored and junior outfielder Alyson Hampton (Oxnard, CA/Oxnard) and senior Stephanie Arguello (Placentia, CA/Vista del Lago) (walk, two singles) each drove in a run.
Torchia and Scheer (sacrifice bunt, stolen base) each hit three singles, and senior Danielle Mastropierro (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) scored a run.