Box Score (New/Sortable Format) 1 |
Box Score (New/Sortable Format) 2 SALEM, Va. (March 15, 2013) – The Edinboro softball team kicked off its 2013 season by dropping a pair of games as part of the Salem Tournament at the Moyer Sports Complex on Friday afternoon. The Fighting Scots (0-2) came up short in the day's early action in a 10-6 loss to UMass-Lowell before suffering a 7-5 heartbreaker at the hands of West Virginia State.
UMass-Lowell (3-8) jumped on the Fighting Scots early in the first game of the day. Krista MacKenzie got aboard on a one out bunt single in the top of the first and then stole second. She came home on a two out RBI knock from Abby Jamieson for a 1-0 lead. Another bunt single from Kate Donovan paved the way for an RBI triple down the right field line by Daniele Crutcher and the Riverhawks grabbed a 3-0 edge.
The Riverhawks tacked on runs in the third and fourth frames before another big blow in the fifth. The damage began with two outs and no one on base when pinch hitter Alyssa Zinkiewicz delivered a double to right center. Following a hit batter, Arianna Darcy tripled in two more runs and MacKenzie brought in Darcy with an RBI double of her own.
Roxanne Herrington then came on in relief of starter
Amanda Shields and was able to put out the fire and send the game to the bottom of the fifth.
Edinboro roared back in the bottom of the inning. Down eight runs, the Scots put together some two out magic of their own. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Riverhawks had a chance for a force play at second base to end the threat. An error kept the inning alive, allowing two runs to cross the plate. Following a walk to
Kari Falk, senior
Ashley Black played long ball. Black drilled an 0-1 pitch to deep left center for a grand slam to bring the Boro within two at 8-6.
The Riverhawks added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, however, with two runs on an RBI single from Jamieson to effectively put the game away.
Marissa Pullo had two hits and a run scored for Edinboro. Herrington pitched 2.1 innings of relief, scattering two runs on three hits with a strikeout. Shields (0-1) started and pitched 4.1 innings with a strikeout, allowing eight runs.
Marielle Handley (1-6) earned the complete game with 12 strikeouts in the circle for UMass-Lowell.
Edinboro held command of much of the nightcap vs. West Virginia State (7-2). The Boro grabbed an early lead by
posting a four-run second inning. Black led off the frame with a single to center and moved to second on
Stephanie Cassidy's sacrifice bunt. Freshman
Haley Struebing then knocked in her first run as a Fighting Scot by driving a double down the right field line for a 1-0 lead. Fellow newcomer
Taylor Rozantz, a transfer from Indiana (Pa.), followed up by doing likewise with an RBI double to center. A walk to
Victoria Filbert chased Yellow Jackets' starter Jade Weinkauf from the game, but reliever Anna Eggleston struggled with her control as well. Back-to-back walks of
Brenna Cosgrove and Pullo plated another run for a 4-0 advantage before Eggleston calmed down for a ground ball and strike out to end the inning without further damage.
The Boro stretched its lead to 5-0 in the fourth on an RBI double to left center off the bat off Pullo, plating Cosgrove who had reached on an infield hit to lead off the inning.
West Virginia State began its comeback with a run in the fifth, loading the bases with one out. A comebacker off the bat of Hannah Griffin bounced off pitcher Shields' glove but right to second base where
Brooke Owen fielded and threw to first for the out. A run scored on the play, but Shields worked out of the jam without any further runs crossing the plate.
In the sixth, the Yellow Jackets pushed across two more runs to draw to within 5-4 despite only hitting one ball out of the infield.
The Scots held the 5-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Mattie Best led off the seventh with a double and the Yellow Jackets moved the tying run to third on a sacrifice. Dee Dee Loftis reached on a fielder's choice to put runners at the corners, chasing Shields from the game. The Scots called on Herrington, but Kelsey Lorraine slammed a walk off three-run home run over the fence in left center on an 0-1 pitch to send West Virginia State to victory in emphatic fashion.
Cosgrove and Rozantz both had two hits and Pullo drove in two runs to lead the Boro offense. Shields scattered 10 hits in 6.1 innings of work with a strikeout. Sara Pelegreen earned the win for the Yellow Jackets by tossing four innings of scoreless relief with five strikeouts.
Edinboro returns to action on Saturday vs. Shippensburg at 5 p.m.
