WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (March 8, 2020) = Freshman
Alex Schoellig hit a home run in her first collegiate game, senior
Samantha Schattin ripped a pair of doubles and junior
Jessie Masur and freshman
Erin Kreis combined to allow for just two runs to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Hunter College in the 2020 season opener.
Masur tossed a complete game and allowed just one unearned run on five hits while matching a career-high with seven strikeouts while Kreis also went the distance, allowing one run on four hits and fanning five over 7.0 innings in the circle.
The Ducks took the first game 6-1 before taking game number two by the score of 3-1 to win their first two games of the year for the first time since 2017.
Hunter actually scored first in both contests but was unable to hold the lead as they were led offensively by Maria Laboy who combined to go 3 for 6 and drove in both of the Hunter runs on the day.
In the first game of the doubleheader, after the Hawks got on the board on an error in the top of the third, Stevens responded immediately as Schoellig lifted an 0-1 pitch over the left field wall and off the top of a shed for her first collegiate homer.
The freshman came through once again in the fifth as she ripped a single to the third baseman with two outs to bring home Schattin who had doubled earlier in the inning.
Leading 3-1, the Ducks added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a Hunter error by the third basemen as well as a two-RBI infield single by
Meg Halloran to make the score 6-1 and seal the season-opening win for Stevens.
The Hawks took an early 1-0 lead once again with a run in the top half of the first, but could not add more as senior catcher
Melissa Alfonso hosed a runner trying to swipe third to end the inning.
Stevens got on the board in the second inning. A leadoff walk to
Madison Gemma followed by a single by Alfonso and an error by the Hunter second basemen loaded the bases for
Victoria Kapp. The senior came through as she drove in a run on an RBI fielder's choice to give the Ducks the lead 2-1.
Much like in the first contest, the Ducks added onto the lead in the sixth thanks to a leadoff walk by
Siobhan Cottell, a passed ball and an RBI double down the left field line from
Samantha Schattin.
Kreis slammed the door in the seventh to clinch the win. After a leadoff walk and a double put the tying run on second base with two away, the freshman calmly got Carolina Bibula to lineout to end the contest.
From the Dugout (Head Coach Emily Kaczmarek)
- "it felt good to play two good games today to finally kick off the season. We have one day to regroup and refocus before our next doubleheader on the road against Drew."
Next Up
- As Kacmarek mentioned, the Ducks return to the diamond Tuesday when they take on Drew University in a doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m. in Madison, N.J.
- The interstate competitors have not faced off since 2012 when Stevens took home a 9-1 victory on the road as a part of a doubleheader split.
