WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (March 8, 2017)  – Junior Olivia Gemma pitched five shutout innings and hit a two-run home run, junior Lauren Shirley collected six hits and drove in a pair of runs, and the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team opened its 2017 season with a doubleheader sweep (4-0, 8-2) of Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Wednesday.

Senior catcher Amanda DiLeo also drove in two for the Ducks, who their season-opening for the fourth straight season.

"This was a great start to the season," head coach Erica Mehalick said. "We played well from start to finish and many players contributed to these two wins."

Michelle Mangini homered and singled to account for the only runs of the day for FDU-Florham. The Devils fell to 1-4.

Shortstop Corinne Loncar produced the first hit of the season for Stevens, connecting for a single off Megan Zaccario (1-1). Shirley followed with a well-placed ball that reached the wall for a triple. 

Staked with a 1-0 lead, Gemma (1-0) went to work on an FDU offense that came into the game averaging 7 1-2 runs over its first two games. The right-hander scattered just four hits, struck out four, and retired nine straight Devils, to earn the win.

Loncar added a sacrifice fly in the fifth and DiLeo stroked a bases-loaded single to score Marissa Barnes and Julia DeCandia to provide Stevens with a little breathing room.

Sophomore Christine LaRochelle pitched two innings to earn her first career save.

In the nightcap, Stevens scored in each of the first four innings en route to an 8-3 victory.

Senior Emily Sellitti jumped on an Audrie Thomas (0-2) offering to deliver a leadoff double to right center. Junior Farryl Groder sacrificed the third baseman to third and Loncar calmly drove a single through the left side of the infield for the game's first run.

FDU finally got on the board in the second. Mangini connected for a long home run off LaRochelle (1-0). The Devils would add another run off the Stevens pitcher in the fourth, but in-between, the Somerset, New Jersey native retired six straight batters, as the offense staked her to a 3-1 lead after three innings. LaRochelle allowed two runs on four hits in her four innings of work. She walked one and struck out four.

The Ducks broke the game open in the sixth. Sellitti led off with a walk and advanced to second on a Groder sacrifice. After Loncar flied out to center, Shirley drove in the fifth Stevens run with an RBI double. Gemma followed with a mammoth blast to left center to close the scoring. Shirley and Gemma led the team in home runs (7) in 2016.

Sophomore Marissa Cappello fired three hitless innings for her first save of the season. Cappello earned the first two saves in Softball history in 2016.

Up Next: Stevens heads west to Tucson, Arizona for the 2017 Tucson Invitational Games, with ten games on the schedule. The Ducks will match up with Central College to open the event Sunday.

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