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ANOTHER DAY IN SPLITSVILLE FOR MUSTANG SOFTBALL
The Mount Ida College women's softball team split today's double dip with visiting Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) member Simmons College dropping game one 3-1 but rebounding to capture game two 4-0. Senior captain Kerri Kwasek (Framingham, MA/Framingham) pitched every inning on a blustery day in Newton, Massachusetts. The Mustangs pull their record to 7-17 overall, 5-9 in conference play while the Sharks move to 7-16 on the year, 5-7 in the GNAC.
The hosts struggled in the top of the first inning sacrificing one error. A leadoff walk by the Sharks and a roped double to right center field by Emily Nalband (Litchfield, CT/Litchfield) put runners on second and third with no outs. A wild pitch crossed the first run for Simmons making it 1-0. A throwing error plated the Sharks second run of the game ending the second inning with the Mustangs trailing 2-0.
It was quiet till the bottom of the third inning when Mount Ida got on the board. A leadoff single by freshman Erica Belliveau (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) that was misplayed by the leftfielder put Belliveau on second with no outs. Kwasek stepped up next and hammered a single in to center driving in Belliveau for the Mustangs first run of the game down 2-1 after three.
In the top half of the fourth inning, the Sharks added an insurance run that was started by another error ridden inning by Mount Ida. After a leadoff pop out, senior Kristen Souza (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) singled to leftfield and an error put her on second base with one down. A fly out immediately following put Souza on third to give the Sharks and opportunity to stretch the lead. A throwing error by the second baseman plated another score for Simmons taking the 3-1 lead.
The Mustangs did not threaten with any offense for the rest game with the Sharks taking game one 3-1. Kwasek only surrendered one earned run while the other two scores came off Mount Ida mistakes. Sharks sophomore Courteney Collier (Bolton, MA/Nashoba Regional) went the distance on the mound with six strikeouts surrendering seven hits.
Game two was all about the Mustangs who came out swinging in the bottom of the first inning with a two run, three hit set. A leadoff single by junior Katie Lorenco (Mattapoisett, MA/Old Rochester) and an error by the Simmons first baseman put Lorenco on second with one out after a Becky Tisbert (Cambridge, VT/Lamoille Union) strikeout. Another crushed single by Belliveau put runners on first and third. Senior captain Tiffany Kowarsky (Springfield, MA/Longmeadow) stepped to the plate and hit a Texas leaguer to left field dropping in between the leftfielder and shortstop scoring both runners. The Mustangs took the outright 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first.
Fast forward to the bottom of the third inning where it was almost a mirror image of the first with a leadoff single by Lorenco. After another strikeout by Tisbert, Belliveau hammered another single to left field putting two on with one out. A fielder's choice by Kwasek, tagging out Lorenco at third, gave Kowarsky another chance to drive in a run. She followed suit smoking another single to left driving in Belliveau for the 3-0 Mount Ida advantage after three.
One more run was added by the Mustangs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Tisbert led off with a single followed by another Belliveau single putting two on with no one out. A throwing error by the catcher scored the speedy Tisbert giving Mount Ida the outright 4-0 lead. The Mustangs eventually sealed the deal and closed things out winning their fifth GNAC game of the season, 4-0.
Kwasek was again outstanding hurling all seven frames only surrendering three hits with five strikeouts. Belliveau had a huge day going 5-7 in two games with three runs scored. It was all about Kowarsky who drove in three out of the four runs in game two helping her team to a game two victory.
The Mustangs will host GNAC foe Johnson & Wales University tomorrow starting at 3:00 p.m. for more doubleheader action.
