SOFTBALL SPLITS WITH VISITING GATORS IN GNAC TWIN BILL

The Mount Ida College women’s softball team split Wednesday’s Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) double header against visiting Pine Manor College capturing game one by a score of 4-1 and falling in game two 5-3 on a rainy and cold afternoon in Newton, Massachusetts.  The Mustangs stand at 9-8 overall, 4-6 in league play while the Gators win their first game of the season now 1-13 and 1-4 in the GNAC.

In game one, the Mustangs struck first in the bottom of the second on a one run, two hit inning with an error by the visitors that cost them the run.  Freshman outfielder Chaise Courbron (Monroe, CT/Masuk) started the offense crushing a double to right center.  Freshman Ashley White (Salem, MA/Salem) laid down a bunt single that was followed by an error at first base giving Courbron another base to plate the run to give the Mustangs a 1-0 advantage.

The next two full innings were quiet until the top of the seventh inning when the visitors struck with their first run of the game.  Gator senior Courtney Wallace (Steep Falls, ME/Bonny Eagle) got her squad on the board with a towering solo homer to lead off the inning to tie the game at 1-1.

Mount Ida countered in the bottom half of the fifth on a homerun of their own to regain the advantage up 2-1 after White hammered a shot over the left field fence.  The Mustang’s defense game was stellar and would not surrender another run for the contest. 

A double to center field by Mustang freshman Danielle Mitchell (Whitman, MA/Whitman-Hanson Regional) got the ball rolling for Mount Ida in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Courbron smacked a single up the middle to plate Mitchell giving the hosts a 3-1 lead.  A bunt single by White two batters later scored Courbron for the 4-1 advantage and eventually the victory.

Freshman Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) took the win for the Mustangs throwing all seven frames and only surrendering six hits with one strikeout.  Gator senior Siobhan Raymond (Winchendon, MA/Gardner) went the distance for the visitors taking the loss with six K’s.

Game two started with the visitors jumping out of the gate in the top of the first scoring two runs on three hits.  A lead-off single by junior Jessica Kennedy (Lakeville, MA/Apponequet) followed by a Kayla Nielson (Saco, ME/Thornton Academy) double to center would score Kennedy for the 1-0 advantage.  Nielson advanced to third on an infield single and eventually scored on a pass ball for the 2-0 lead.

The Mustangs struck back in the bottom of the first inning on a two run, three hit inning of their own to tie the score (2-2).  A lead-off single by Meeker followed by a hammered double to left center by freshman Cortney Rebello (North Dartmouth, MA/Great New Bedford) plated the first run for the Mustangs with Meeker crossing to pull within one run (2-1).  After a groundout to advance Rebello to third, Mitchell came through again with a wall ball double to left center tying the score at 2-2 after the first.

After a quiet second inning, the Gators regained the advantage on back-to-back solo homeruns to lead the inning off.  Nielson started the offensive barrage smoking a ball over the left center field fence taking the 3-2 lead.  Wallace followed with another homer bombing hers over the right center field fence to close the inning leading 4-2. 

The Mustangs scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning that started with sophomore Erica Belliveau (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) taking a pitch off the leg giving her first base.  She would advance to third on a single and a ground out and eventually scored on a junior Erin Dufficy (Shelton, CT/Shelton) single up the middle making it 4-3 Gators.

That’s as close as the hosts would get while the Gators converted on more run on a pinch it homerun by freshman Kaylyn Delgado (Worcester, MA/Barlett) to lead off the sixth inning giving the visitors their first victory of the season winning 5-3.

Mount Ida freshman Denise Picard (Winooski, VT/Winooski) took the loss for the Mustangs surrendering all five runs on nine hits with four strikeouts.  Gator freshman Tia Nelson (Rockport, MA/Rockport) captured the victory for the visitors going the distance with three strikeouts on six hits.

The Mustangs will host non-conference Wheelock College this coming Friday afternoon starting at 3:00 p.m. in another doubleheader.