Stevens and Utica 2-0 on Tuesday
STEVENS
The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team remained undefeated Tuesday with a 9-8 win over the College of Wooster, followed by a1-0 walk-off win over the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
The wins give Stevens its first 6-0 start in program history, while Wooster and Wisconsin-Superior fell to 8-5 and 9-3 respectively.
Stevens 9, Wooster 8
After a two-run homer put Wooster up two in the top of the first, the Ducks responded in a big way with six in the bottom of the inning. With juniors
Gavriella Risman-Jones on second and
Sydney Spitz on first, senior
Jamie DeGennaro ripped a single to right to push across one.
Sophomores
Jessica Rees and
Emily Sellitti continued the rally with back-to-back RBI singles before freshman Connie Loncar singled to center to put the Ducks up 4-2. Sellitti scored on a wild pitch during the next at-bat, and after a Stevens strikeout, junior
Noelle Mulligan alertly tagged-up on a foul out to second to cap the big inning.
Freshman hurler
Olivia Gemma made the lead stand with a scoreless second allowing the Ducks to add two more in the bottom half of the frame off an two-RBI single from Loncar. Stevens scored another in the third, but Wooster was able to get one back in the fourth and fifth before adding three in the sixth.
Clinging to a two run lead, Gemma surrendered back-to-back hits to start the seventh as Wooster cut the lead to one with nobody out. Gemma was able to settle down though, inducing a pop-up to short before getting a ground-out and pop-up to close out the game.
The win keeps Gemma unbeaten to start her collegiate career while fellow rookie Loncar led the Ducks with three hits and two RBIs. DeGennaro, Rees and Mulligan each also added multiple hits.
Stevens 1, Wisconsin-Superior 0
The Ducks mustered a rally in the second with sophomore
Kelly Klewicki at second and Rees at third, but Yellowjackets starter Katie White wiggled out of the jam with back-to-back outs.
Stevens rallied again in the next inning, but a double play turned by the Yellowjackets erased a first and second, one out situation for the Ducks.
The lack of run support did little to deter senior
Kayla Berardi who, after allowing a pair of singles in the first, retired 19 straight batters to send the game into the bottom of the seventh deadlocked at zero.
Needing a run to avoid extra innings, Stevens mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh sparked by a leadoff single from Rees. Sellitti followed with a walk, but a runner's interference call on Rees on a ground ball from Klewicki put runners at first and second with one out.
Sellitti and Klewikci promptly stole third and second respectively where Mulligan ripped a single to right to drive in the winning run.
Berardi struck out five to earn her third win of the season, and in the process lowered her ERA to 0.65.
UTICA
The Pioneers earned two thrilling victories at the DOT Richardson Spring Games in Clermont, FL. Utica downed Plymouth State 5-2 in the first game, before earning a come-from-behind walk off win, 8-7 over Keene State in the second game.
Utica 5, Plymouth State 2- Game One Final
Utica jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as senior
Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) hit a sacrifice fly that drove in
Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) and
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville). The Panthers responded by plating two runs in the bottom of the inning to knot the score.
UC got the go-ahead run in the top of the fourth as an error with the bases loaded brought home
Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene). The Pioneers added some insurance in the top of the seventh as
Alaina Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) hit a two-RBI single to score Siriano and
Madison Williams (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent). That was all the Utica defense needed as it shut down the Panthers in the final inning.
The UC pitching staff gave up just five hits, while striking out five in the victory. Russell led Utica going 2-for-4 at the plate, while Siriano was 1-for-2 with a triple, two runs scored and two stolen bases.
Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) also had a hit in the game.
Utica 8, Keene State 7- Game Two Final
With two outs, freshman
Samantha Husak (Jackson, MI/Grass Lake) hit a three-run triple to score the game-winning run in walk off fashion. The Pioneers battled back from a six-run deficit in the final two and a half innings to secure the victory.
Husak and
Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) were each 3-for-4 while
Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central),
Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), and
Alaina Wickwire(Towanda, PA/Towanda) each had two hits.
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) extended her hit streak to six games and
Madison Williams (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent) had one hit.