WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (April 10, 2012) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team recovered from an initial 6-0 game one deficit to roar back and sweep Hunter College in two games 11-8 and 8-0 on Tuesday. Starters Kayla Berardi (Brookfield, Conn.) and Brianna Sandone (Haddon Twp., N.J.) did not allow an earned run (Sandone got the game two shutout) to lead the Ducks in the midweek games.

Game One

Hunter scored six unearned runs in the first inning on only three hits, jumping out to a big lead in the early going. But the Ducks began to chip away immediately; Daniele DeFeo (Andover, N.J.), Kayla Berardi and Jamie DeGennaro (Pearl River, N.Y.) all had hits before Stephanie Senkevich (Washington, N.J.) knocked a homerun to leftfield through a stiff wind to make the score 6-4 after one inning.

Hunter scored another run of the unearned variety in the second inning, capitalizing on two Stevens errors in the frame to go ahead 7-4.

The Ducks continued to swing the bats well, getting singles from DeFeo and Berardi and another RBI double from DeGennaro to cut the Hawk lead down to one.

After an eventful first two innings, things settled down and the next one and a half innings were scoreless.

In the fourth, Kendel Aurand (McVeytown, Pa.) beat out a single to start to start things off. Berardi followed with a linedrive that bounced to the side of the Hunter rightfielder and rolled all the way to the wall. The speedy sophomore made it all the way around the bases for the game changing go-ahead inside-the-park homerun.

DeGennaro and Jordan kept the inning going with singles and Senkevich drew a walk as well.  Jordan had one RBI and Sarah Parker (Fredricksburg, Va.) drove in two with her two-out double as Stevens score five runs to flip the momentum and take an 11-7 lead.

Hunter scored yet another unearned run in the fifth, making the score 11-8.

Berardi would shut out the Hawks over the final two innings and earned the win as the Ducks hung on for the come-from behind win. The sophomore pitched remarkably well despite the final score; none of Hunter's runs were earned. Berardi finished with eight strikeouts and gave up just four hits.

Game Two

Stevens starter Brianna Sandone put the Hawks down in order in the first inning of game two, the near antithesis of the long opening inning Hunter enjoyed in the first game. DeFeo led off the frame with a hit up the middle for Stevens but the team could not drive her in.

DeFeo also led off the third inning with a base knock and promptly stole second base. Parker singled as well and DeGennaro drove them both home, though she was thrown out trying to stretch her hit into a double. The Ducks led 2-0 after three full innings of play.

Sandone continued to throw well, pitching shutout ball through the fourth inning. She was helped by a good throw from Noelle Mulligan (Staten Island, N.Y.) at first base, who cut down a runner at the plate trying to score to end the fourth frame.

Sandone herself led off the home half of the fourth with a double to right-centerfield. Lauren Hurley (Sparta, N.J.) walked and DeFeo knocked her third single of the game up the middle to load the bases with nobody out. DeGennaro launched a ball that hit the base of the fence on a fly but only went for an RBI single as the runners had to hold to see if it would be caught. With two outs and the bases still loaded with Ducks, Senkevich launched a moonshot to dead centerfield for a grand slam that made the score 7-0.

DeGennaro began the Stevens sixth inning with a double to left, and Senkevich brought the day to a close with a walkoff RBI single up the middle that moved the score to 8-0 and mandated the use of the eight-run mercy rule.

Sandone pitched all six innings to earn the shutout and also gave up just four hits. The freshman struck out four batters and walked just one as she ran her season record to 7-4.

Many Ducks put up some gaudy offensive numbers on Tuesday. DeGennaro was 6-of-7 with six RBI, DeFeo and Berardi both hit .750 with a combined seven runs scored, Senkevich hit two homeruns and drove in seven runs, Mulligan was 2-for-3 and Parker and Christine Minervini (Toms River, N.J.) both hit .500 in the two games.

The squad will travel to Alfred University this weekend for a pair of pivotal Empire 8 games on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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