ERIE, Pa. (May 21, 2021) – After winning a conference and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, the Stevens Institute of Technology softball program saw its 2021 season come to a close with a pair of two-run defeats, falling to SUNY-Geneseo 6-4 and York College of Pennsylvania 2-0 Friday in the Erie Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
The Ducks close the season as the MAC Freedom Tournament Champions with a 22-10 overall record while Geneseo improved to 17-8 and York moved to 19-10.
"It was a disappointing day," head coach
Emily Kaczmarek said. "Not the outcome we were hoping for but it's tough to win when we don't swing the bat. Today aside, this team made history and that's something to be really proud of. It's just the start of something really great for the future of Stevens softball."
With the season officially coming to a close, graduate student
Samantha Schattin closes her illustrious career by setting a pair of single-season program records this year.
Schattin, the MAC Freedom Player of the Year, finishes the season with a .529 batting average and a .597 on-base percentage. Both numbers are the top marks in program history, breaking the records set by Lauren Shirley with a .466 average and a .556 OBP in the 2015 season.
In the first game of the day, Stevens struck first in the top of the second inning when senior
Amanda Delorme led the frame off with a single through the left side and motored around the bases when senior
Madison Gemma ripped an RBI double down the left field line.
Two batters later, Schattin made the score 2-0 when she laced an RBI single just past a diving shortstop to bring home Gemma.
In the bottom of the inning, the Knights were able to get a run back after senior
Jessie Masur caught a line drive back to her but then overthrew first base trying to complete a double play that allowed a runner to come all the way around to touch home plate.
The Ducks were able to get the run back in the top of the third after a leadoff walk to sophomore
Alex Schoellig, an error and an RBI single right back up the middle from Delorme brought home pinch runner junior
Lexi Gregule.
The score remained 3-1 until the fifth as Masur (15-4) struck out five batters in the first four innings she pitched, facing just three batters over the minimum.
Geneseo broke through in a big way in the bottom of the fifth with a four-run inning that featured four hits, two of which were doubles.
Leah VanDerwarker started the scoring in the inning for the Knights with an RBI double down the right field line to bring home one. One batter later, Rebecca Schwartz had the big blow of the game with a pinch-hit two-RBI double into center field to give Geneseo a 4-3 lead.
An RBI groundout added the fourth run of the inning and the Knights pushed the lead to 6-3 with a key insurance run on an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Much as they have all season, Stevens never quit as Delorme led the seventh off with a walk and came around to score the fourth run of the game when junior
Meg Halloran blooped an RBI double into left center field.
Schattin then walked to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but Geneseo reliever Lauren Kersch got a foul out to end the contest with a 6-4 score.
The Ducks finished the game with nine hits offensively but were unable to cash in on the big hit as they left 13 runners on base in the game.
Schattin, sophomore
Alex Schoellig, Delorme and Halloran all had multi-hit games in the loss, accounting for eight of Stevens' nine hits in the contest.
In the second game of the day against the Spartans, Stevens fell behind after the first half inning of action without the benefit of a hit as four straight walks scored a run to make it 1-0.
York then tacked on another in the top of the third with an RBI single, but Masur was able to get out of trouble as she got back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout with the bases loaded an nobody out to end the threat.
The Ducks were held hitless until the bottom of the fifth when first-year
Julia Baber broke through with a single up the middle and Halloran put a pair on base with a bunt single.
Spartans' starter Shyla Pastore did not blink, however, as she got a pair of punchouts to get out of the jam.
Pastore then gave up a two-out hit to both senior
Siobhan Cottell and Halloran in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, but worked around both to earn the win in the circle.
Halloran led the way for the Ducks in game two with a pair of bunt singles as she finished the tournament 4 for 7. If not for Schattin, Halloran's .525 batting average this season would have also set a new program record.
With the season coming to a close, Stevens will say goodbye to graduate students
Victoria Kapp and Schattin, fifth-years
Gina DeOliveira and
Abigail Circelli and seniors Masur and Gemma with Delorme and Cottell likely returning for a fifth year on Castle Point.
"The senior classes are irreplaceable," Kaczmarek said. "I am speechless in terms of how much they have impacted this program, their teammates and me personally. We will be forever grateful for everything they have contributed."
Including Delorme and Cottell, the Ducks will return seven student-athletes who appeared in at least 20 games this season to the roster in 2022. The .688 winning percentage for Stevens this season is the best since the Ducks went 27-11-1 in 2015 for a .705 winning percentage.
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