MUSTANG SOFTBALL SWEEPS FIRST TWIN BILL OF YEAR

The Mount Ida College women's softball swept visiting non-conference opponent Wheelock College this Tuesday winning game one 4-2 and game two 12-11.  The Mustangs improve to 10-18 overall; one win shy of last year's total of 11 victories with four double headers left on the schedule.  The Wildcats fall to 2-14 on the year dropping their eighth in a row. 

The hosts jumped out quickly in the bottom of the first inning scoring one run on two hits.  Two consecutive outs started the inning followed by an Erica Belliveau (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) double.  Senior captain Kerri Kwasek (Framingham, MA/Framingham) crushed a triple to right center scoring Belliveau making it 1-0 Mustangs after one.

The Wildcats answered later in the top of the fourth on a two run, three hit inning with a costly error by Mount Ida.  A lead off single and a stolen base put a runner on second with one out.  A single to right center by Nicole Perullo (Revere, MA/Revere) crossed the visitors first run knotting the score at 1-1.  Another single by junior Elise Ordile (Waltham, MA/Waltham) and an error scored Perullo giving the Wildcats the 2-1 advantage.

The bottom of the sixth inning is where the Mustangs took over on a three run, three hit set that featured two errors by Wheelock.  A single by Kwasek and a Belliveau fielder's choice put two on with one down.  Senior Tiffany Kowarsky (Springfield, MA/Longmeadow) singled and advanced to second on an error by the left fielder scoring Kwasek from third and Belliveau from second, both unearned, making it 3-2 Mustangs.  A Maddy Anderson (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) single scored Kowarsky for the fourth and final run of the game giving the hosts the 4-2 victory in game one.

Kwasek went the distance for the Mustangs on the mound getting the win surrendering seven hits on two runs and five strikeouts.  Senior hurler Stacy Seidner (Pembroke, NH/Pembroke) gave up eight hits and four runs, only one of which was earned, with a strikeout for the Wildcats.

Game two was pretty wild with the visitors holding a 4-3 lead after three innings in a very sloppy opening for both teams that featured a homerun by Kwasek, her fifth of the season.  Both squads exchanged big innings with the Mustangs putting up a five spot in the bottom of the fourth on a five hit, five run set with one Wildcat error.  A single to left field with two on by Becky Tisbert (Cambridge, VT/Lamoille Union) emptied the bags making it 5-4 Mustangs.  A walk by Belliveau and a double steal put runners on second and third with two outs.  Kwasek hammered a double into left field scoring two more leading 7-4.  Kowarsky eventually drove in Kwasek making it 8-4 Mustangs after four.

The Wildcats answered in the top of the fifth inning on a four run, two hit inning with another error by the hosts.   Two lead off walks put two on with no one out giving coach Katie Zuman no choice but to pull her back-up pitcher Erin Dufficy (Shelton, CT/Shelton) who started the game, and put Kwasek back in to finish it off.  It wasn't as easy as they thought while Kwasek surrendered four runs on a single to right center and a single to center making it 8-8.

Mount Ida regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth with one run on two hits and an error.  Freshman Tracy Koukol (North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro) advanced to second on a throwing error to first by the pitcher.  Junior Katie Lorenco (Mattapoisett, MA/Old Rochester) smoked an RBI single into center field scoring Koukol taking the 9-8 advantage.

After a silent top of the sixth by the visitors, the Mustangs tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning on a three hit, two run set.  A lead off double by Kwasek, who eventually advanced to third on an error, got the inning going.  A sacrifice fly by Dufficy plated Kwasek making it 10-8 Mustangs.  An Anderson single and a senior Lindsay Schwartz (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton) walk put to one with two down.  Koukol singled immediately following driving in Anderson making it 11-8 after six. 

Just when it looked like the Mustangs had things locked up for a game two win, the Wildcats tied it with a three run, three hit frame with two errors.  An error to open the inning put a runner on second followed by a single put two on with two out.  A costly throwing error by the shortstop plated two runs for the visitors cutting the lead to one at 10-11.  A double to right field by Ordile tied the score at 11-11 going into the bottom of the last inning with one more chance for the Mustangs to avoid extra frames.

They answered, starting with a Tisbert single and a fielder's choice by Belliveau with two on and no one out.  Kwasek stepped up to the plate and crushed a single to left center scoring Tisbert for the for the 12-11 victory. 

Dufficy went four innings giving up six runs on five hits struggling to hit her spots with seven walks.  Kwasek snatched the victory due to the tie in the top of the seventh surrendering six hits in three frames.  

The Mustangs will host St. Joseph's College (ME) this Friday on senior day starting at 3:00 p.m.