Columbus, Ga. – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team notched a split on the opening day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Friday.
The Ducks (3-3) dropped a 1-0 decision to Denison University before topping Cortland 7-1 in the nightcap.
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs. Denison)
Ducks starter
Jessica Hsu worked through a two-out double in the first, inducing a pop-up to close out the frame. Denison threatened in the third, as consecutive singles put runners on first and second with one out. Hsu escaped, getting a fielder's choice and a strikeout to escape the jam.
Hitless through 3 2/3, the Ducks got their first hit as
Emma Quattrochi laced a double down the left field line. The Big Red closed out the inning with a strikeout, and once again Hsu got out of a jam in the fifth, working around a leadoff double and walk. With runners on second and third, the sophomore got a comebacker for the second out and a swinging strikeout to close out the inning.
Carmelita Murphy-Brown singled through the right side leading off the fifth and moved to third on a sac bunt by
Riley Lawrence and a Hsu groundout. The inning came to a close with a ground ball to the pitcher. The Big Red broke through for the lone run of the game in the top of the sixth, as a two-out double scored a run.
The Ducks loaded the bases in the sixth, as
Lilian Cournoyer singled,
Maria Dante reached on an error, and Quattrochi walked. A fielder's choice saw a runner thrown out at home, and a groundout ended the inning. Down to their final at-bat,
Isabelle Won singled to center with two down to keep the game going. Stevens was unable to force extra innings, as a groundout gave Denison the 1-0 victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs. Cortland)
Scoreless through one, despite both teams putting runners on third base, the Ducks started the scoring in the top of the second.
Maria Dante lined a single up the middle and moved to second as Murphy-Brown reached on an error. The two moved up a base on a double steal before Won singled in both. Lawrence walked to continue the rally as
Kacey DiPasquale moved both runners up on a bunt. Cournoyer brought Won home with an RBI knock up the middle.
Kyra Fischer punched out the final two hitters in the second before Stevens loaded the bags without a hit in the third. Murphy-Brown and Won walked before Lawrence was hit by a pitch to fill the bases before DiPasquale delivered the big blow, a bases-clearing double to left-center. Fischer escaped a runners-on-the-corners, two-out jam in the fourth, getting a strikeout to retire the side.
Won and Lawrence walked to lead off the fifth and moved up a base on a sac bunt from Cournoyer.
Allison Mitloff singled to the pitcher, scoring Won to extend the lead to 7-0. Angelique Ceballos-Cardona led off the sixth with a pinch-hit single before Murphy-Brown singled and Lawrence walked to load the bases. Stevens was unable to push a run across as a strikeout ended the threat. The Red Dragons put a run on the board in the bottom of the seventh, but that was the only run they scratched across.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Hsu went six innings in game one, allowing just one run with three strikeouts.
- Fischer fanned 10 over the games, matching a career-high with eight in the victory against Cortland.
- Quattrochi reached base twice in game one, doubling and drawing a walk.
- Mitloff went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk hitting in the No. 2 hole of game two.
- Lawrence didn't have an official at-bat in game two, drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch.
- Ceballos-Cardona registered her first collegiate hit, as DiPasquale registered her first three collegiate RBI.
UP NEXT
The Ducks will face Pacific Lutheran at 3:00 pm and Bethel University at 5:30 pm tomorrow.
