Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (April 17, 2013) – Senior Molly Herforth (Pompton Plains, N.J.) did not allow an earned run for the fourth game this spring to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team to a doubleheader split at St. Joseph's College (Long Island) late Wednesday afternoon.

Stevens is now 5-25 on the season while St. Joseph's drops to 19-15.


Stevens 5, St. Joseph's (L.I.) 0

The Ducks jumped out to an early lead, stringing four hits together with one out to push three runs across the plate and adding another before the end of the first inning.  Senior catcher Clair Strom (El Paso, Texas) doubled freshman left fielder Gavriella Risman-Jones (New Boston, N.H.) home to get on the board and junior third baseman Stephanie Senkevich (Washington, N.J.) followed with a two-RBI single to push Strom and freshman right fielder Kelsey Dempsey (Broomfield, Colo.) across the plate.  Senkevich moved up to second base on a passed ball and advanced to third on a single by freshman designated player Oriana DeFeo-Peterson (Patterson, N.Y.), then scored on an infield single by freshman second baseman Sydney Spitz (Shelton, Conn.) to give the Duck a 4-0 lead.

Senior Molly Herforth (Pompton Plains, N.J.) came out dealing as she struck out the first two batters swinging.  Stevens added a fifth run in the top of the second inning as Dempsey doubled junior shortstop Danielle DeFeo (Andover, N.J.) home, and Herforth notched another pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the frame, getting one to end the inning with the bases loaded.  Neither team could get more than one runner on base over the next five innings, with the exception of the Eagles putting runners on first and second via a single and walk with two outs in the bottom of the third.  The Ducks' best chance came on a Risman-Jones triple with one out in the top of the fourth, while a lineout into a double play erased a runner in the top of the sixth.

St. Joseph's made some noise in the bottom of the seventh as the Eagles got a leadoff double, but a slick fielder's choice by DeFeo got the runner at third for the first out and an outfield assist from Dempsey got another at second, after which Herforth coaxed the final out of the game to complete the shutout.

Risman-Jones had her third three-hit game of the season (3-3, 1 R) but had her perfect stolen base streak end while Senkevich was 2-3 with a hit-by-pitch, one run and two RBI.  Dempsey and DeFeo-Peterson each recorded two hits as well.  Herforth tossed her third shutout (fourth with no earned runs) of the season, allowing just five hits, two walks and two hit-by-pitches while striking out five over seven innings.  The Ducks did not commit an error in the field for a second consecutive game and the ninth time this spring while tying their season high of 11 hits (twice), season high for extra base hits (four – three times) and season low for strikeouts (one – five times).

Five different Eagles each recorded a hit, including a pair of doubles, while freshman first baseman Mallory McClafferty (Bellport, N.Y.) drew both walks.  Senior De Carmine (Holtsville, N.Y.) surrendered four earned runs on 11 hits and one hit-by-pitch, whiffing just one in seven innings.
 

St. Joseph's (L.I.) 8, Stevens 7

The Ducks had three base runners in the top of the first inning of Game Two but none advanced past second.  The Eagles countered with a leadoff single and put another runner on via error on a sacrifice bunt.  A fielder's choice got the lead runner at third, but another error loaded the bases with just one out.  Another savvy fielder's choice by DeFeo got the runner at home plate to keep St. Joseph's off the scoreboard, and a groundout to third base got sophomore Brianna Sandone (Haddon Township, N.J.) out of the inning.

St. Joseph's finally did push some runs across in the bottom of the second, however.  The Eagles loaded the bases with just one out and scored their first run on a walk, then added three more on a shallow single, sacrifice fly and another error to take a 4-0 lead.

Stevens responded immediately as DeFeo led off with a single and came around on a two-out single by Senkevich, cutting the deficit to three.  The Eagles got back-to-back singles with two outs in the bottom of the third inning to no avail, but loaded the bases, courtesy of another error, with two outs in the bottom of the fourth and pushed another insurance run across on an infield single. 

Stevens was unable to cut into the lead despite benefitting from an error and single to lead off the top of the fifth inning, and St. Joseph's tacked on a sixth run in the bottom of the frame.

The Ducks' bats finally woke up again in the top of the sixth inning, however.  Sophomore Noelle Mulligan (Staten Island, N.Y.) led off with a single and came around on a double into the gap by DeFeo-Peterson, who then scored on a sacrifice fly by Spitz to halve the lead.  DeFeo followed with a double, advancing Herforth to third base, and Risman-Jones singled to load the bases, still with just one out.  Dempsey stepped to the plate and ripped a two-RBI single to left field that scored two and cut the lead to one, but Risman-Jones was caught at third as the pitcher cut off the throw home.  Dempsey advanced to third on a wild pitch in the next at-bat and scored the tying run on an error, making it 6-6.

Mulligan singled again to lead off the top of the seventh inning and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out triple by Spitz, but St. Joseph's would rally in the bottom of the inning to win, 8-7.

DeFeo and Risman-Jones each recorded three-hit games for the Ducks, with DeFeo doubling once and scoring twice, while Mulligan and Herforth were both 2-4, with Mulligan scoring twice and Herforth once.  Sandone allowed just three earned runs on 11 hits and four walks while punching out one over 6.1 inning.  The Ducks recorded a season-high 15 hits in Game Two, four more than in any other game this spring, but also committed a season-high six errors.

Sophomore centerfielder Julianne Tierney (Bethpage, N.Y.) led the Eagles, going 3-5 with a double, triple, one run and three RBI while junior shortstop Samantha Carcano (Centereach, N.Y.) was 1-3 with a walk, three runs and one RBI.  McClafferty surrendered five earned runs on 13 hits while striking out two over six innings, with junior Cassie Martinez (Centereach, N.Y.) picking up the win after allowing an earned run on two hits and striking out one in one inning.


DeFeo notched her 10th multi-hit game of the season and broke her own single-season record for assists while Dempsey and Senkevich each recorded their fifth multi-RBI games.  Spitz reached base for the eighth straight game in Game Two, a new team season high.
 
Head Coach Erica Mehalick and the Ducks will return to the field tomorrow, Thursday, April 18 at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (21-8) at 3 p.m.


Active streaks: 
Hitting: Strom - six games; Dempsey - four games; Senkevich - two games; Risman-Jones - two games; DeFeo-Peterson - two games; Spitz - two games

On-base: Spitz - eight games; Strom - six games; Senkevich - five games; DeFeo-Peterson - five games; Dempsey - four games; Risman-Jones - two games