WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (March 17, 2016) – Stevens Institute of Technology softball sophomore Lauren Shirley blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday, catapulting the Ducks to a 7-5 win in game two of an opening day doubleheader over Arcadia University. 

The homer capped a five-run rally for the Ducks, and combined with a 9-3 win in game one, clinched a sweep for Stevens in its first action of 2016. 

Stevens 9, Arcadia 3
Arcadia jumped out to an early lead with two in the first, before the Ducks answered back loudly with seven in the second. Junior Emily Sellitti sparked the rally with a lead-off walk and a stolen base, before scoring off a single from sophomore Olivia Gemma. 

A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch pushed across one more, followed by a two-run single from senior Gavriella Risman-Jones to make it 4-2. A Shirley RBI single three batters later made it 6-2, before Stevens capitalized on an Arcadia error to give them their seventh run.

Arcadia got one back with a run in the fourth, but it's all the scoring they would do in the game as Stevens scored twice more in the sixth to put the game away for good.

Risman-Jones went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs, while freshman Christine LaRochelle picked-up the win in her first collegiate start.

Stevens 7, Arcadia 5
After trading zeroes over the first two innings, Arcadia took advantage of a trio of Stevens miscues to take a 3-0 lead in their half of the third. The Ducks answered with two in their half of the inning however off RBI singles from sophomores Farryl Groder and Corinne Loncar.

The Knights added one more in the fifth, and another in the sixth to make it 5-2, before the Ducks unleashed their furious rally in the bottom of the seventh.

Schnecker started the inning with a walk, followed by a bunt single from Risman-Jones. A hit-by-pitch loaded the bases after that, where Loncar drove in a pair with an RBI single to center. With runners at first and second and the Ducks trailing by a run, Shirley pounded a pitch over the left-field fence for the walk-off win.

Shirley and Loncar led the Ducks with three RBIs each, while freshman Marissa Cappello struck out four in three innings of relief to earn the first win of her career. 

Up Next
The Ducks will now set their sights to Florida where they'll play 10 games in six days at THE Spring Games in Clermont.

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