Melanie Palmieri and Joelle Salisbury Record Two RBI as Softball Concludes Florida Trip
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Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 13, 2016) – Despite two RBI from sophomore Melanie Palmieri (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) and freshman Joelle Salisbury (Rotterdam, N.Y./Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons), the Mercy College softball team dropped a 5-4 decision to Wayne State (Mich.) and a 4-1 decision to Minnesota State Moorhead to conclude their Florida trip on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavericks (5-7) conclude their six-game Florida trip 3-3, while Wayne State ends the day at 13-2 and Minnesota State moves to 4-6.
Game 1: Wayne State 5, Mercy 4
The opening game of the day saw the Mavericks jump out to an early 4-0 before the Warriors scored five unanswered runs, including two in their final at bat to steal the win.
Mercy took a 2-0 lead after the first inning following a two-run triple by Salisbury which allowed junior Julie Gross (Port Monmouth, N.J./Middletown North) and senior Amanda Gardiner (Stratford, N.J./Sterling) to score. Freshman McKaily Cusumano (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) continued her strong pitching as she tossed three consecutive scoreless innings to start the game.
The Mavericks built the lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth as Palmieri struck with a two-RBI single that allowed sophomore Chelsea Konyar (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) and junior Janelle Wade (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) to score.
Wayne State answered with their first two runs of the game in the bottom half of the inning to make it 4-2. Mercy would not be able to tack on any more runs and the Warriors cut the deficit to one in the sixth following an RBI single by Ali Lince, making it 4-3.
The Mavericks threatened with the bases loaded in their final at bat looking for more but a pop up ended the threat and kept the score at 4-3. Wayne State preceded to then score two runs in their final at bat on five hits to overtake Mercy and earn the victory.
Konyar batted 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Cusumano went 6 1/3 innings in taking her first loss of the season.
Game 2: Minnesota-State Moorhead 4, Mercy 1
The Mavericks second game of the day saw Mercy only record six hits in the contest and were only able to plate one run. After a scoreless inning by both teams, the Dragons got on the board in the second off a pair of Mavericks errors to make it 1-0.
The Dragons added on to their lead in the third as Lauren Meeker hit a two-RBI double to right field that put Minnesota State up 3-0. Freshman Alyssa Salisbury (Rotterdam, N.Y./Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons) would record Mercy's second hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth, but the Mavericks were not able to break through as Dragons started Kristen Nordby went the distance with no earned runs allowed.
Sydney Beck gave the Dragons a 4-0 lead after hitting triple that scored Morgan Anderson who had led off the inning with a single to center. Mercy responded with their lone run of the game in the sixth off an error by the Minnesota State third baseman to make it 4-1.
The Mavericks would load the bases in the bottom of the seventh following a walk by Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal), a Joelle Salisbury single and an error. However, a strikeout would end the threat with the tying run on base.
Junior Jackie Kielty (Middleboro, Mass./Dean College) made the start in the circle and went the first three innings with two earned runs allowed to pick up the loss.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, March 20th when they play at Post University for a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
