Stevens and Alfred Extend Win Streaks

4/17/2015 8:32:00 PM

STEVENS v HOUGHTON
Stevens Institute of Technology freshman softball pitcher Olivia Gemma gave up one run over 10 innings and homered twice to lead the Ducks to 8-7 and 9-0 wins over Houghton College Friday.
 
The wins moved Stevens to 19-6-1 while Houghton fell to 2-20.
 
Stevens 8, Houghton 7
Both teams traded zeroes through the first two innings before Houghton broke through with five in the third. The Ducks did put runners on base in the third and again in the fifth, but failed to get any around to score before finally breaking through in the sixth.
 
Freshman Lauren Shirley led off the inning with a hard hit single to left before stealing second during the next at bat. Houghton starter Morgan York recovered by retiring the next two, but freshman Corinne Loncar refused to let her off the hook, ripping an RBI single up the middle.
 
Houghton got two back in the top of the seventh to make it 7-1, but the Ducks rallied once again in their half of the inning.
 
With two runs already in, sophomore Emily Sellitti ripped an RBI double to left center to plate two more. Freshman Farrly Groder was hit by a pitch in the next at bat where Loncar doubled both runners home to tie the game.
 
Junior Noelle Mulligan and freshman Cara Napolitano walked in the next two to at bats to load the bases, where senior Jamie DeGennaro ripped a single up the middle with two outs to win the game.
 
Loncar led the Ducks with three RBIs while DeGennaro and Sellitti each added two. Gemma got the win in relief.
 
Stevens 9, Houghton 0
Gemma retired the side in order in the first allowing the Ducks to build a lead in their half of the inning. After Sellitti singled and stole second with one out, DeGennaro drove her in with a single to center. Houghton retired the next batter on a fly-out, but Gemma follow up with a home run to center to put Stevens up 3-0.
 
Gemma made the lead stand with a scoreless third, allowing the Ducks to add to their lead in the bottom of the inning off an RBI sacrifice fly from Loncar, followed by an RBI single from freshman Marissa Barnes.
 
The runs were enough for Gemma who set the side down in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth, allowing the Ducks to complete the run rule shortened game in the sixth.
 
With one run already in, Gemma put the exclamation point on her day with a three run homer to left to end the game. Gemma's four hits and five RBIs were both career highs.


ALFRED v ELMIRA
The Alfred University softball team won both ends of an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader at Elmira College Friday afternoon. The 23^rd-ranked Saxons won 11-1 and 15-0 (both in five innings) to run their winning streak to 18 games and remain unbeaten in conference play.
 
AU (24-2, 6-0 Empire 8) banged out a combined 29 hits in the two games, while holding the host Soaring Eagles to seven.
 
Sophomore third baseman Liz Thompson hit a homerun in each game and finished the twinbill 5-for-8 with five runs scored and seven driven in. Her triple in the first game was her sixth of the season, a new school record, and the eighth of her career, which ties a school mark. Senior pitcher-first baseman Alison Wickwire blasted a solo homerun in the first game, giving her 11 round-trippers on the season, which ties a school record.
 
Sophomore Sophia Chiavatti was a perfect 7-for-7 in the two games, belting four doubles, driving in four and scoring three times. Chiavatti now has 14 doubles, which leads the Empire 8.
 
In the opener, AU scored all its runs in the first three innings, plating five in the first, two in the second and four in the third. That was more than enough support for Wickwire, who gave up five hits, allowing an earned run in the fourth, and struck out seven to improve to 9-1.
 
Thompson hit a homerun and a triple, drove in three and scored twice to pace the Saxons' 13-hit attack. Wickwire was 2-for-2 and scored twice; junior outfielder Samantha Jauregui had two hits and scored twice; and Chiavatti was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a run and two RBIs.
 
Junior shortstop Nicole Maher, in her first action after missing the last seven games with injury, was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
 
The Saxons picked up right where they left off in the second game. Scoring 11 runs in the first three innings before adding four more in the fifth. Thompson was 3-for-4 with a homerun, three runs scored and four driven in, while Chiavatti was 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs.
 
Jauregui scored four times and drove in two runs; junior second baseman Dana Torchia was 2-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBIs; and junior catcher Jasmine Picini was 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI.
 
Freshman pitcher Kerri Keeler improved to 7-0 on the season, allowing just two hits while striking out six and walking none.
 
Alfred returns to action next on Sunday, April 19, for a 12 p.m. Empire 8 doubleheader at Stevens.
 
Thompson's six triples breaks the AU single-season record of five she had shared with Alicia DeAndrea (2000) and Lauren Mastin (2005). Her eight career triples puts her in a tie for the school mark with Liz DeFranco (1994-97) and Nicole Hedrick (2009-12). Wickwire's 11 homeruns this year ties her for the school single-season record with Karen Folts, who hit 11 homers in 2009.

SCHOOL	CONF	OVERALL
Alfred	6-0	24-2
Ithaca	6-2	12-10
St. John Fisher	4-2	20-8
Stevens	5-3	19-6-1
Nazareth	3-3	10-10
Utica	2-4	10-12
Elmira	0-6	3-7
Houghton	0-6	2-21