MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Medaille College softball team started out their season 2-0 in the first two games of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. They won their first game against the Fitchburg State Falcons 8-7. They won their second game against the Sarah Lawrence Gryphons 6-0.
Game One
It looked like a rough start for the Mavericks in the very first inning of the first game. The first at bat was a triple to right center. The next batter was walked and stole second, putting two Falcons in scoring position. The first run was scored on a ground-out to shortstop. The second came in off of a sacrifice fly. They finished the top of the first leading 2-0 over the Mavs. The bottom of the inning was started with
Gabrielle Presutti (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) and
Kylie Lyons (Olean, NY, Olean) both getting walked.
Shay Sommer (Grand Island, NY, Grand Island) hit a single through the left side to score Presutti and put Lyons on third. Lyons found her way across the plate due to a wild pitch. The Mavs tied it up.
Sidney Cooper (Elmira, NY, Thomas Edison) and
Camryn Adimey (Lakeview, NY, Frontier) both walked next, and now the bases were loaded. There was another wild pitch from the Falcons, and Sommer made her way home, giving the Mavs the lead.
Audra Marley (Watervliet, NY, Shaker) walked, and the bases were full again.
Corissa Wagner (Millerstown, PA, Greenwood) added another walk to the list, this time it brought Cooper home. This forced a pitching change for the Falcons.
April Chambers (Lockport, NY, Starpoint - Niagara CCC) hit to the shortstop to score Adimey and that would finish it. The Mavs took the lead 5-2.
The Falcons started making their comeback in the third inning. They started it off with a double. A ground-out to second moved her over, and a triple scored her. Another single scored one more run, and the Falcons were only down by one. The Mavericks could not make anything happen on offense, and kept riding their one-run lead.
In the fifth inning, the Falcons made another comeback. They started the inning with two walks in a row.
Abbigail Doherty (Clarence, NY, Clarence) made a fantastic decision to pick-off the runner on first, and got her. This was a big spark for the Mavs' defense. They got their second out while holding the runner at second. It looked like a successful inning, but there was an errant throw from the pitcher which scored two Falcons. They now had the lead 6-5. The Mavs were not ready to go down without a fight. Wagner got it started with a single to left field. Chambers then grounded out to advance her to second.
Haley Kennedy (Chestermere, AB, Chestermere) came in to run for her at second. Presutti came up to bat and crushed a triple over the centerfielder's head. Kennedy would score, and tie the score back up again.
It was going to be a battle to the end. In the sixth inning, the Falcons went to two outs quickly. They hit a single to center to put a baserunner on. Two more singles later, and they jump back into the lead. The Mavs came up to bat and also had two quick outs. Cooper singled to right field, then Adimey singled deep into right center to score Cooper. It was tied heading into the seventh inning.
It was a quick 1-2-3 inning on defense for the Mavs.
Kaitlyn Alguire (Forestville, NY, Forestville) struck out the first batter, then Presutti made the next two at short. With Chambers on first, Presutti came up and doubled down the left field line. Chambers attempted to get home, but was thrown out at the plate. Presutti was sitting on second base in scoring position. Lyons made her way to the plate and hit a single to centerfield to score Presutti. This ended the game with the Mavs on top, 8-7.
Game leaders for the Mavericks were Presutti going 2-4 with one double, one triple, one RBI and two runs scored, Adimey going 2-3 with one RBI, and one run scored, and Cooper going 1-2 scoring one run. Alguire earned the win for the Mavs allowing three hits with one strikeout.
Game Two
The Mavericks got it rolling early in the first inning. Lyons got on base due to a fielder's choice. Doherty grabbed her first hit of the day out to left field to advance Lyons to third. Sommer then singled to score Lyons and place Doherty on third. Cooper walked to make the bases loaded. Adimey came up next with a big single to center to scored Sommer and Doherty. The Mavs got an early lead, 3-0.
In the second inning, Lyons hit a two-out triple to left center to get things started. Doherty was up next and took a pitch to the back to put her on base. Sommer got a hold of one and tripled to center to score Lyons and Doherty. The Mavs were now ahead 5-0.
Scoring halted for a few innings until the sixth. Sommer got it started with a double to left field. Kennedy made her first debut at the plate and hit it hard to left to cause an error, to drive in Sommer. This would do it, and the Mavs grab the win, 6-0.
Game leaders for the Mavericks were Sommer going 3-4 with one double, one triple, three RBI's, and two runs scored, Adimey going 1-2 with two doubles, and Presutti going 2-4 with one triple.
Alexis Alguire (Forestville, NY, Forestville) earned the win for the Mavs only allowing one hit with eight strikeouts.
The Mavs are back at it tomorrow for day two of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. They will face Albertus Magus for a 9:30 a.m. start, and Wilson for a 1:30 p.m. start.
