Two Wins for Stevens; Elmira, Fisher and Naz Split

4/16/2015 8:47:00 PM

STEVENS v Stockton
Stevens Institute of Technology head softball coach Erica Mehalick recorded her 100^th career win Thursday in the Ducks 2-1 win over Richard Stockton College.
 
The win came on the heels of a 3-0 victory in game one as Stevens' record rose to 17-6-1. The losses dropped Stockton fell to 14-11
 
Stevens 3, Stockton 0
Both teams found themselves in a pitching duel early as senior hurler Kayla Berardi posted zeroes through the first four innings, allowing just one runner into scoring position in the process. Stockton matched the senior's output with zeroes of its own before the Ducks finally broke through in the fifth.
 
Three straight singles to start the inning loaded the bases for the Ducks, and after a fielder's choice eliminated the runner at third, junior Gavriella Risman-Jones picked-up her team with a single to left to plate one.
 
Berardi retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth allowing the Ducks to add some insurance in the seventh off Risman-Jones' RBI single. A throwing error from the pitcher brought the Stevens lead to 3-0, which was more than enough for Berardi who struck out the final two batters to clinch the win.
Risman-Jones led the Ducks offensively with two hits and two RBIs while Berardi picked-up her team leading 10^thwin of the season. The defending Empire 8 Conference pitcher of the year has now allowed just two earned runs in her last 34 innings.

Stevens 2, Stockton 1
Stockton struck first with a run in the first, but freshman pitcher Olivia Gemma escaped further trouble by retiring three batters in a row to wiggle out of a bases loaded, nobody out situation.
 
The Ducks tried to rally by putting runners in scoring position in the third and fourth, however strong Stockton pitching kept Stevens off the board. Gemma kept the Ducks in the game by working out of a first and third, no-one situation in the fifth before including a double play in the sixth.
 
Needing a rally, Gemma led off the seventh by reaching on an error where freshman Lauren Shirley batted her in by belting her first career home run.
 
Stockton put its leadoff batter on in its half of the seventh, but Gemma worked around it with three straight outs to seal the win.


ELMIRA v Alfred State
The Elmira College softball team earned a non-conference split in their home-opening doubleheader against Alfred State College. The Soaring Eagles dropped the first game 4-2, but rolled in the second game to a 9-0, five-inning victory.
 
Ashley Palmer '16 had a strong day at the plate, going 4-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored. She had a pair of hits in both games and helped EC break open the second game with a two-RBI single in the fourth inning. Also having a strong home debut was local product Hannah Lundgren '18. Lundgren 3-for-5 at the plate and had a RBI in each game for EC.
 
Both starting pitchers for the Soaring Eagles, Katie McDougal'18 and Kelsey Condidorio'18, posted quality starts against the Pioneers. McDougal gave up four runs, two of which were earned, in 5.2 innings in game one, while Condidorio pitched four shutout innings, allowing just two hits, in the game two win.
 
Game One: Alfred State 4, Elmira 2
EC got the scoring started in game one as Lundgren singled home Palmer to put EC up 1-0 after two innings of play. McDougal was cruising along, allowing just two hits through the first three innings, but Alfred State would even the score in the top of the fourth inning after a Julianne Heggie '16 throw of what could have been an inning-ending double play tipped off the glove of Emily Carlin '17 and allowed the tying run to score.
 
The Purple and Gold retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, making it 2-1 heading into the final two innings. EC loaded the bases with one out and pushed one run across on Katie Day's sacrifice fly. Elmira looked to add to their lead with Carlin at the plate, but she would groundout, leaving the Heggie twins on second and third.
 
It turns out that the Soaring Eagles would have needed the extra runs as Alfred State would score the deciding runs in the next half inning. McDougal got two quick outs, but the Pioneers would produce a two-out rally that would lead to three runs and the deciding 4-2 advantage.
 
Game Two: Elmira 9, Alfred State 0 (F/5)
The Soaring Eagles came out firing on all cylinders in the second game. Condidorio was given the ball for game two and retired the first six Pioneer batters in order. EC then scored three runs in each of the second, third, and fourth innings to make it a 9-0 game.
 
Lundgren led off the bottom of the second inning with a single up the middle and then later scored on a Condidorio single into right field. Chelsea Storch'18, who singled after Lundgren, scored on a wild pitch and then Condidorio brought home Storch in a RBI groundout.
 
An error allowed Julianne Heggie '18 to give EC a baserunner to open up the third inning. The next batter, Palmer, would bring Heggie home with a long double to left center field. Carlin would also double with a line drive to left field, advancing Palmer to third base. Palmer would then score on a RBI groundout by Lundgren and Carlin would score on a sac fly by Storch, making it a 6-0 game.
 
Then, leading off the fourth inning, Jacquelyn Heggie hit a ground rule double to left field, putting a runner in scoring position. Julianne Heggie singled and then was part of a double steal moving both players into scoring position. Palmer hit a hard single to left field, bringing both of the Heggies around to score and then advanced to second base on an error by the left fielder. Palmer would later touch home on an error by the shortstop.
 
Marisa Bernardi '18 entered the game in the top of the fifth inning and set down Alfred State in order to seal the Elmira victory.
 

ST. JOHN FISHER 7, NAZARETH 0 
The St. John Fisher College softball program split its doubleheader at Nazareth College on Thursday.   The Cardinals came away with a 7-0 win in the opener, but lost the nightcap, 1-0.   
 
Freshman pitcher Lindsey Thayer was dominant yet again, allowing just one hit, while striking out 12 in the complete-game win, raising her record to 13-3. 

Fisher took the lead for good with a run in the second inning and scored four more runs in the fourth inning, capitalizing on six walks.
 
Freshman Danielle Ventrone was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Karlie Neale was 2-for-3 with a double, one run scored and one RBI.
 
Freshman Katie Mazierski was 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI, while Jennifer Knaak and Meghan Burns each tallied one run and one RBI.


NAZARETH 1, ST. JOHN FISHER 0
Junior Danae Wetherbee tossed a five-hitter and junior Maureen Rogers drove home the only run of the game with a third-inning double as host Nazareth won the second game of a softball doubleheader Thursday against St. John Fisher, 1-0. 

Fisher managed just five singles off Wetherbee, who had no strikeouts but walked just one to improve her pitching record to 3-2. 

Nazareth had better swings against Lindsey Thayer in the second game and strung together three hits to score the game's only run in the third inning. Morgan Ross had a one-out double and advanced to third on a single by Emily Graham. Rogers then followed with her RBI double to the left-center field gap.

Fisher, meanwhile, stranded runners on base in five of the seven innings and threatened to score in the top of the seventh after Emma Savas opened the inning with a bunt single. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the game ended when she was doubled off second following a line drive that was snagged by Nazareth second baseman Sarah Papponetti, who flipped to the shortstop Ross for the force out and game-ending double play.