Couillard Smacks Five Hits in Softball Doubleheader Versus Assumption
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 13, 2014) – Junior Jackie Couillard (Wolcott, Conn. / Wolcott) went a combined 5-for-7 with a pair of go-ahead runs as the Mercy College softball team continued its Florida trip with a doubleheader against Assumption College on Thursday afternoon.
Mercy dropped both game to fall to 3-7 while Assumption moves to an even .500 at 4-4.
Mercy 5, Assumption 6
Senior Mary Sieber (Massapequa Park, N.Y. / Massapequa) was on her game early despite allowing a leadoff single to start the game. The staff ace coaxed back-to-back groundouts and caught the final batter of the inning looking to get out of an early jam, then recorded a 1-2-3 second inning to keep the Mavericks right in the thick of it.
Unfortunately the Mavericks offense was a bit slow to get going, allowing Assumption to push four runs across the plate on five straight singles in the top of the third inning. The Greyhounds threatened again in the fifth inning as consecutive doubles put runners on second and third base with one out, but senior Brittany Serrao (Lake Hiawatha, N.J. / Parsippany) kept the inning clean with a groundout and punchout.
The Mavericks' bats finally woke up in the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Julie Gross (Port Monmouth, N.J. / Middletown North) led off the frame with a single and was joined on the base paths by senior Natalie Wabshinak (New Fairfield, Conn. / New Fairfield) and freshman Janelle Wade (West Chester, Pa. / Henderson) both of whom singled their way aboard with two outs. That set the stage for junior Megan Johnson (Gilbert, Ariz. / Phoenix College) to smash a game-tying grand slam, and after following Johnson's blast with a single, Couillard later came around to score the go-ahead run.
The lead did not last long, however, as Assumption plated two in the top of the sixth to retake the lead, 6-5. In the Mavericks' final chance in the bottom of the seventh inning, they were able to put runners on first and second with two outs, but a fly out to right field ended the game.
Couillard and Johnson each went 3-for-4 at the plate while scoring one run. Freshman Anna Cochis (Clifton Park, N.Y. / Catholic Central) tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.
Mercy 1, Assumption 9
A pair of big innings carried the Greyhounds in the second game as well. Assumption plated three with two outs in the bottom of the second inning and tacked on another five in the fifth after a quiet three innings in the interim. The Greyhounds added the final run they needed to run-rule the game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Gross put the Mavericks ahead on a sacrifice fly to score Couillard in the top of the second inning while Couillard and senior Kelly Bentson (Brewster, N.Y. / Brewster) each recorded two hits. Bentson was perfect at the plate for the fourth time in the team's first 10 games, going 2-for-2 with a walk.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks will look to bounce back tomorrow, Friday, Mar. 14 as they face Winona State University (13-1), which received votes in the latest NFCA Coaches' Poll, and Urbana University (5-3) at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
