Sieber Leads Softball to Doubleheader Sweep of ECC Rival Bridgeport
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 23, 2014) – Senior Mary Sieber (Massapequa Park, N.Y. / Massapequa) hurled a dominant five-inning complete game shutout to lead the Mercy College softball team in a sweep of East Coast Conference rival the University of Bridgeport on Wednesday afternoon.
Mercy improves to 13-30 overall and 9-17 in the ECC with the sweep, while Bridgeport drops to 18-28 (11-17).
Mercy 10, Bridgeport 0 (5 inn.)
Mercy jumped on the scoreboard early as freshman Julie Gross (Port Monmouth, N.J. / Middletown North) doubled in two runs and junior Megan Johnson (Gilbert, Ariz. / Phoenix College) added an RBI double of her own to score Gross for the 3-0 lead.
Sieber retired eight straight hitters after a leadoff single to start the game and gave up just one more single in the third inning before the Mavericks tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the frame to stretch out to a 7-0 lead. Mercy added three more in the fourth to go up by 10 and Sieber shut the door in the fifth for the run-rule victory.
Sieber picked up her seventh win of the season, allowing just five hits while striking out two in the five-inning complete game shutout. Johnson led the Mavericks at the plate with her team-leading sixth three-hit game of the season, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and her third four-RBI game. Junior Jackie Couillard (Wolcott, Conn. / Wolcott) went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI while senior Ashley Johnstone (Bellmore, N.Y. / John F. Kennedy) also reached base twice, going 1-for-2 with a walk, three runs scored and a stolen base. Gross and freshman Jordyn Moquin (Southington, Conn. / Southington) each added two RBI on one hit apiece.
Mercy 4, Bridgeport 2
The Purple Knights went ahead to start Game Two on a solo shot to straightaway centerfield and it was not until the fourth inning that the Mavericks could respond, although Mercy did load the bases with just one out in the third.
Mercy would break through, however, as junior Michelle Duford (Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada / Seward County CC) reached on an error and advanced to second on a heads-up play to lead off the inning. Moquin then smacked a sharp single to left field to tie the game and came around to score the go-ahead run in the next at-bat. Mercy added one more before the inning ended to lead 3-1.
Bridgeport pulled within one run on a bases-loaded single in the top of the fifth inning, but a solo home run by Johnson in the bottom of the frame stretched the margin back out to two, where it stayed as the Mavericks completed the sweep.
Senior Kelly Bentson (Brewster, N.Y. / Brewster) reached base twice, going 2-for-3, while senior Brittany Serrao (Lake Hiawatha, N.J. / Parsippany) surrendered just two earned runs while punching out three over the complete game.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks take a break from ECC play as they cross the Tappan Zee Bridge to take on Nyack College (3-31) in a doubleheader tomorrow, Thursday, Apr. 24.
