MADISON, N.J. (March 10, 2020) – Junior Jessie Masur allowed just two hits in a complete game shutout and senior Melissa Alfonso combined to go 5 for 6 with six RBI to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Drew University Tuesday at Drew Softball Complex.

The Ducks opened the day with a 10-0 run-rule victory and followed it up with a 6-2 win in game two to start the season 4-0 for the first time since 2016.

In the first contest of the doubleheader, Masur (2-0) was spectacular in the circle for Stevens, tossing her second straight complete game and allowing a pair of hits while striking out two in 5.0 innings of work. In 12.0 innings in the circle this season, Masur has yet to allow an earned run and given up just seven hits and fanning nine batters.

Alfonso, meanwhile, was just as good at the plate in the doubleheader. The 2019 First Team All-Empire 8 Conference selection went 2 for 2 with a double, a homer and four RBI in the first contest and finished 3 for 4 with two more RBI in the second game. The four runs driven in in a single game are the most a Duck has had since Corrine Loncar had five RBI on April 7, 2018.

Stevens got production from up and down the lineup as well as Samantha Schattin, Madison Gemma, Victoria Kapp, Siobhan Cottell and Meg Halloran all had multi-hit games in the doubleheader.

The first matchup of the day started with a bang for the Ducks. After Schattin led the game off with a walk and moved to third on a wild pitch and a stolen base, Alfonso came through for the first time of many on the day as she ripped a double to left field to bring home Schattin. Alfonso then came around to score on a wild pitch and a passed ball to give Stevens a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish.

In the top of the next inning, Cottell started the rally with a one-out double and was subsequently brought home on a single to left field and an error.

After an Alex Schoellig leadoff walk in the third, Alfonso came to the plate and put the contest out of reach with a two-run bomb over the left field wall. It was Alfonso's fifth homer of her career.

The Ducks blew the contest open in the fourth with a five-run inning. Schattin and Halloran both singled to start the inning and advanced to second and third with nobody out for Schoellig. The freshman continued her impressive start as she laced a single to bring home Schattin.

Alfonso added her fourth RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly one batter later and junior Ada Heinze made the score 8-0 with a pinch-hit RBI single to center.

Gemma then stepped to the plate and hit a towering two-run homer to swell the lead to 10. Through four games this season, Stevens already has three home runs, nearly a third of what they finished last season with (10).

The 10 runs were more than enough for Masur as she faced just five batters over the minimum to earn the victory in the circle and give Stevens its first run-rule victory of the season.

In the day's second game, Stevens jumped out to an early lead once again as Alfonso brought home Halloran, who had tripled earlier in the inning, on a two-out single in the top of the first.

The two teams were held scoreless for the next four innings as freshman Erin Kreis threw up a zero in five straight innings to open the contest.

Stevens erupted for five runs in the top of the fifth to move ahead 6-0.

After Marlee Kopetsky singled and stole second with one away in the inning, Schattin hit an RBI single to bring home Kopetsky. One batter later, Halloran delivered an RBI single of her own into the right center field gap to make the score 3-0.

With two outs and Halloran on second, Alfonso came through once again with an RBI single to center field. The next batter, Gina DeOliveira, kept the train moving when she singled home pinch runner Elise Fauske to put the Ducks on top 5-0. Gemma then capped the inning off for Stevens with an RBI double to right field.

In total, the Ducks put up five runs on seven hits in the inning.

Drew was able to answer with their first run of the doubleheader in the bottom of the sixth but could not add on in the inning as Kreis (2-0) induced a groundout to second base with runners on the corners and two outs to end the threat.

After the Rangers tacked on another run to make the score 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Stevens handed the ball from one freshman to another as Cara McMahon made her collegiate debut a got a flyout to center field to close the contest for the Ducks.

Inside the Numbers

• In total, Stevens out hit Drew 24-10 in the doubleheader.
• The Ducks did not commit an error in the field on the day while the Rangers finished the doubleheader with two.
• Masur, Kreis and McMahon combined to allow just four walks over 12.0 innings in the circle.
• The 10-0 win in game one was the most lopsided victory for Stevens since defeating Augsburg College 26-5 on March 12, 2017.
• Four games into the season, the Ducks have six players hitting at least .333, led by Alfonso who now is 8 for 11 with a double, a home run and a team-high six RBI this season.
• Of the 10 total starting position players, nine of them recorded at least one hit in the doubleheader.
• The Ducks went a perfect 7 for 7 in stolen bases on the year and are now 15 for 15 in attempted steals this season.
• Schattin finished the day 3 for 5 with an RBI and three runs scored while Gemma went 3 for 7 with a double, a big fly and three RBI.
• Kreis struck out three batters while giving up two runs on eight hits over 6.2 innings of work to pick up the victory.

From the Dugout (Head Coach Emily Kaczmarek)

• "We had a total team effort today. When you play like a group and execute, good things happen. We're still building."

Next Up

• The Ducks return to action Sunday, March 15 with a doubleheader on the road at Kean University starting at 1:00 p.m.
• It is the first meeting between the two schools in the history of the program.
• Live stats and video will be available on StevensDucks.com.

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