Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (March 15, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team knocked-off the University of Wisconsin-Platteville 7-6 in eight innings before beating Franklin and Marshall College 5-2 to open the 2015 season.
 
The wins start Stevens at 2-0 while Wisconsin-Platteville and Franklin and Marshall fell to 1-2 and 0-1 respectively.
 
Stevens 7, Wisconsin-Platteville 6 

The Pioneers struck early with a pair of runs in the first before the Ducks bounced-back with two in the third. With junior Gavriella Risman-Jones at third,  junior Sydney Spitz reach on an error at short to push across the run. Sellitti followed-up with an RBI bunt to knot the game at two.
 
Senior Kayla Bererdi worked around a leadoff double in the fourth to keep the game tied, allowing Stevens to take a two run lead in the bottom of the inning with a hit by pitch and a walk with the bases loaded.
 
The lead held-up until the Pioneers answered with three runs in the sixth to take the one run edge. One more run of insurance in the seventh put the Ducks in a two run hole, but Stevens refused to go down in the bottom of the inning.
 
Sophomore Jessica Rees lead off with a single and later scored off a throwing error from short. Mulligan followed two batters later with an RBI single to score senior Jamie DeGennaro before Berardi maintained the tie by retiring the side in order in the eighth.
 
In the bottom of the frame, extra inning rules placed Risman-Jones at second who reached third off a single from Spitz. With the winning run at third, Sellitti flied a pitch a center that was deep enough to score the winning run. 

Stevens 5, Franklin & Marshall 2
 
After setting down the side in order in the top of the first, the Ducks put two on the board in the bottom of the inning off a two-run single from sophomore Jessica Rees. The Diplomats came back with two in the second, but Stevens quickly regained the lead with two in the bottom of the inning.
 
With freshman Lauren Shirley at third, junior Gavriella Risman-Jones hit a sacrifice fly to center to score the Stevens rookie. Junior Sydney Spitz followed with a grounder to score freshman Farryl Groder to cap the inning's scoring.
 
The runs were enough for freshman Olivia Gemma who allowed just one hit over the next two innings, allowing Stevens to add to the lead in the fourth off a wild pitch. Gemma retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth before working out of a two-on, nobody out situation in the seventh to seal the win.
 
Gemma scattered three hits over seven innings to earn her first collegiate win while Rees led the Ducks with two RBIs.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Ducks will continue their Florida trip tomorrow with a 1 p.m. game against the University of St. Joseph followed by a 3 p.m. matchup with Salem State University.
 
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