Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 14, 2016) – The Molloy College softball team made sure to leave Florida on a positive note, sweeping away Pace University on Monday (Mar. 14) at the National Training Center Spring Games in Clermont. Scores of 8-0 and 5-2 allowed the Lions to improve their record to 7-9 overall while the losses drop the Setters to 4-4 on the 2016 season.
Game One: Molloy 8, Pace 0 (Final – 6 Innings)
The Lions would not waste any time in the 9 a.m. opener as junior Ashley Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) led off the game with a triple. Fedor scored on an RBI double down the left field line off the bat of senior Tracey Balinskas (Edison, N.J.) as the maroon and white took a 1-0 lead. Later in the frame, Milan Botte (Reston, Va.) singled home Balinskas to put Molloy up by two runs. Botte collected her second RBI on the day with an RBI single in the third inning, as Molloy put up a three-spot on the board to chase Pace starter Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, Calif.) from the contest. Sophomore Bernadette Mullane (Bellmore, N.Y.) had the final blow for McCann as her RBI single in the third put Molloy ahead by five. The Lions tacked on a run in the fifth on an RBI hit by Alexandra Russo (Coram, N.Y.), and back-to-back RBI doubles by Balinskas and Brianna Dalton (Northampton, Pa.) in the sixth inning ended the contest via run-rule as the maroon and white were up by eight runs.
Junior pitcher Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.) twirled a complete-game one-hitter, striking out seven batters while allowing no walks in the victory. The Setters' only hit came in the top of the fourth on a single to center field by sophomore Larissa Labs (Carlsbad, Calif.). Meanwhile, Balinskas had a 3-for-4 day with two RBIs and Botte went 2-for-3, driving in two runs on the day.
Game Two: Molloy 5, Pace 2
Game two was like déjà vu for the maroon and white as Fedor and Balinskas reached base in the first inning, and Botte drove them both in with a single to put Molloy up 2-0 before Pace could bat in the frame. The Setters answered with two runs off of freshman Jenna Turato (Garden City South, N.Y.) by playing small ball in getting a steal and an infield hit to level the score up at two. It stayed that way until the fifth inning, as reigning ECC Player of the Week Olivia Banulski (Bristol, Conn.) got things going with a single to lead off the frame; Dalton would reach base and then execute a double steal to set up Russo for a chance to drive in two runs. The sophomore catcher lifted a ball to left field that was misplayed, scoring both runners and putting Molloy back in front by a 4-2 score. Banulski later added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to provide the final margin.
Turato tossed a complete-game four-hitter to earn her first career collegiate victory. The freshman struck out seven and yielded just two runs in the win. Botte went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, Banulski added an RBI and Fedor went 1-for-3 with a double.
The Molloy College softball team returns home and will host Philadelphia University on Friday (Mar. 18) in a doubleheader at Bob Klein Field beginning at 3 p.m.
