Bentson Extends Hit Streak to Eight Games in ECC Doubleheader at Molloy
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Apr. 3, 2014) – Senior Kelly Bentson (Brewster, N.Y. / Brewster) extended her hitting streak to a team-season-high eight games as the Mercy College softball team faced East Coast Conference rival Molloy College in a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon.
Molloy rallied in both games to improve to 9-9 overall and 5-0 in the ECC while Mercy is now 4-19 (1-6).
Mercy 4, Molloy 12 (5)
The Mavericks surged to an early lead in Game One, knocking the Lions back on their heels with a four-run first inning. Mercy strung together five consecutive singles to open the game as the heart of the order each drove in one run and the fourth scored on another two-out single.
Molloy got on the board in the bottom of the frame as an error with two outs allowed a run to score, and after a 1-2-3 inning the Lions took control of the game with a five-run second inning that was extended by an early error.
Mercy nearly responded in the top of the third inning as runners reached first and third base with just one out, but a strikeout and popup ended the frame. The Lions picked up another run on a leadoff homer and tacked on another in the bottom of the fourth inning before getting the final four needed to run-rule the game.
Junior Megan Johnson (Gilbert, Ariz. / Phoenix College) was 1-for-2 with a walk, one RBI and one run scored while Bentson recorded her eighth multi-hit game o the season, going 2-for-3 with one RBI. Junior Jackie Couillard (Wolcott, Conn. / Wolcott) was 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI as the Mavericks batted a combined .381.
Mercy 5, Molloy 8
Molloy scored two runs in the first inning to open Game Two, but Mercy immediately tied things up in the top of the second. Couillard belted a leadoff home run to cut the deficit to one and after runners reached first and second base with no outs, freshman Janelle Wade (West Chester, Pa. / Henderson) came up with a two-out single to score the tying run.
Despite two outs to start the second inning, the Lions picked up two runs on a two-out double to take a 4-2 lead. Johnson then smashed her fifth home run of the season to trim the margin back to one, and after a two-inning pitcher's duel Mercy took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Junior Natalie Valdez Santa Ana, Calif. / Missouri Valley College) drew a pinch-hit, leadoff walk and came around to score on a passed ball after Couillard had moved her over to third on a single. Bentson then drove Couillard home from second base on a single for the 5-4 lead.
Each pitcher recorded a 1-2-3 inning over the next two frames, but Molloy would come out on top with a four-run sixth inning to nail down the win.
Couillard and Bentson extended their on-base streaks to eight games apiece as Couillard also posted her 10th multi-hit game of the spring, going 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and one RBI while Bentson was 1-for-3 with a walk, one run and one RBI. Senior Mary Sieber (Massapequa Park, N.Y. / Massapequa) recorded her first two career hits with a 2-for-3 day.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks will continue their 10-game ECC slate playing host to Dowling College on Saturday, Apr. 5 at 1 p.m.
