Softball Opens 2012 Season Splitting Floridian Doubleheader: Defeating Millersville, 2-0; Falling to Wilmington, 5-3
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 10, 2012) – On Saturday morning, the Mercy College softball team began play in its highly-anticipated 2012 campaign with a doubleheader down in Clermont, Fla. at the National Training Center. In Game One, the Mavericks downed Millersville University, 2-0, while falling in Game Two versus Wilmington (Del.) University, 5-3.
Game 1: Mercy 2, Millersville 0
The contest started off scoreless through the first four innings. In the top of the fifth, with two outs, senior shortstop Jenna Ausiello (Petaluma, Calif.) doubled, driving home freshman pinch hitter Chrissie Cleary (Smithtown, N.Y.). The next batter, sophomore first baseman Kelly Bentson (Brewster, N.Y.) singled in Ausiello to provide the Mavericks with an insurance run.
That would be all the run support sophomore starting hurler Mary Sieber (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) would need as she pitched a complete game shutout. Sieber surrendered just four hits and whiffed four Millersville batters.
Game 2: Wilmington 5, Mercy 3
In the second game of the day, the Mavericks slipped up against Wilmington of Delaware, 5-3. Wilmington was able to record four runs in the opening inning off rookie pitcher Bryanna Kopczynski (Smyrna, Tenn.). The runs were scored off two errors after a single and pair of walks.
Mercy got one of those runs back in the bottom of the frame when Ausiello singled in junior catcher Lexi Majury (Bayville, N.J.), who reached on an error by the first baseman. However, Wilmington grabbed that run right back in the top of the second.
In the sixth, Mercy notched a couple of runs to cut its deficit to 5-3. Freshman right fielder Shelby Johnson (Bullhead City, Ariz.) recorded an RBI single, and then scored one batter later when rookie left fielder Jessica Doria (Franklin Square, N.Y.) reached on an error by the third baseman. That would be all the scoring the Mavericks could muster.
Out of the bullpen, sophomore right-hander Alexandra Puglisi (Shelton, Conn.) came in to throw 2.1 innings of hitless ball. She struck out three.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks return to action tomorrow when they play the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in Clermont, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
