Back-to-Back Homers by Johnson, Couillard Vault Softball Past Post in Extras
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 7, 2014) – Back-to-back home runs by juniors Megan Johnson (Gilbert, Ariz. / Phoenix College) and Jackie Couillard (Wolcott, Conn. / Wolcott) sent the Mercy College softball team to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and the Mavericks pulled through in extra innings to record a 6-5 win over Post University on Monday afternoon.
Mercy improves to 5-22 overall while Post is now 10-15.
Senior Brittany Serrao (Lake Hiawatha, N.J. / Parsippany) sat the Eagles down in order to start the game and, following a leadoff double by senior Natalie Wabshinak (New Fairfield, Conn. / New Fairfield), Johnson and Couillard smacked their consecutive homers for the 3-0 lead.
Post got one run back on a two-out single in the top of the second inning but the scoreline remained static through fourth innings. Things did get interesting in the fourth, as senior Kelly Bentson (Brewster, N.Y. / Brewster) erased back-to-back leadoff singles with an unassisted double play, while the Mavericks were unfortunate to have two hitters thrown out trying to stretch deep singles into doubles.
Serrao exited the game after four innings, and Post came up with a three-run shot to take the 4-3 lead four batters into the inning. Mercy immediately regained the lead, however, as freshman Janelle Wade (West Chester, Pa. / Henderson) led off with an infield single and scored the tying run on a double off the wall by Johnson, who advanced to third on a groundout and subsequently scored on a single by Bentson.
Freshman Jessica Feria (North Bergen, N.J. / High Tech) came on for the save opportunity in relief of senior Mary Sieber (Massapequa Park, N.Y. / Massapequa), but a pinch-hit leadoff home run tied the game. The Mavericks loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a pair of errors, but were unable to push the winning run across and the game headed to extra innings.
The Eagles got a leadoff single to start the frame and, after an infield popup, senior Jessica Simpson (Gilbert, Ariz. / Bakersfield CC) was called upon to get out of the inning, which she did via a fielder's choice and foul out.
The Mavericks quickly recorded two outs to start the bottom of the eight, but Wabshinak then reached second on a misplay by the centerfielder. She then came around to score on a controversial single by Wade, as the centerfielder laid out to make the grab but trapped the ball against the ground as she came up with it, handing Mercy the victory.
Johnson paced the Mavericks at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. Couillard was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, one RBI and one run while Wabshinak went 1-for-5 with two runs and Wade finished 2-for-4 with one run and the game-winning RBI. Serrao surrendered just one earned run while not allowing a single extra base hit over four innings while Sieber struck out three in two innings and Simpson earned the win.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks will head across the Tappan Zee Bridge to face St. Thomas Aquinas College (2-18, 1-9) in an East Coast Conference doubleheader tomorrow, Tuesday, Apr. 8 at 3 p.m.
