FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 16, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team surrendered just one run over 14 innings Monday in 5-1 and 6-0 wins over the University of St. Joseph and Salem State University respectively.
 
The wins give Stevens its first 4-0 start in program history while St. Joseph and Salem State fell to 1-4 and 6-2 respectively.
 
Stevens 5, St. Joseph 1
 
After freshman Olivia Gemma recorded scoreless innings in the first and second, the Ducks built their lead in the bottom of the inning. With senior Noelle Mulligan on first and freshman Lauren Shirley on second, Gemma helped her own cause with a single to left to put the Ducks up one.
 
St. Joseph's starter Colleen Ecsedy responded with a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but junior Gavriella Risman-Jones refused to let her off the hook with a two-run triple to right to put Stevens up 3-0.
 
Gemma continued to dominate in the circle by retiring the side in order in the third and fourth, allowing the Ducks to add to their lead in the bottom of the fifth.  
 
With junior Sydney Spitz on third and sophomore Kelly Klewicki on second, sophomore Emily Sellitti singled up the middle to score both. St. Joseph's bounced-back with a run in the sixth, but it's as close as they would get the rest of the game as Gemma retired the side in order in the seventh to seal the win.
 
Klewicki and Mulligan each added two hits while Risman-Jones had two RBIs. Gemma struck out seven in her second win of the season.
 
Stevens 6, Salem State 0
 
After senior Kayla Berardi retired the side in order in the first, sophomore Jessica Rees got the Ducks on the board in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single to score Risman-Jones.
 
Sellitti added to the lead in the third with an RBI double before the Ducks scored two more in the fourth off a throwing error from the catcher and an RBI fielder's choice from Spitz.
 
Berardi made the lead stick by retiring the side in order in the fifth, allowing the Ducks to tack-on a pair of insurance runs off a Mulligan triple and a Risman-Jones RBI ground out. The runs were more than enough for Berardi who had no trouble closing out the win in the top of the seventh.
 
Berardi struck out five to earn her second win of the season while Rees added two hits and an RBI.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Ducks will continue their Florida schedule tomorrow with a 9 a.m. game against The College of Wooster, followed by an 11 a.m. game with the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
 
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