Molloy University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Mar. 9, 2016) - A big offensive output from sophomore Bernadette Mullane (Bellmore, N.Y.) led the Molloy College softball team to an 8-5 win over the Lions of Georgian Court University on Wednesday (Mar. 9) in the first game of a doubleheader at Bob Klein Field. Game two of the double-dip was dominated by senior Tracey Balinskas (Edison, N.J.) both at the plate and in the circle, as the maroon and white were victorious by a 6-0 margin to earn the sweep of its home opening doubleheader. Molloy now stands at 4-4 overall while Georgian Court falls to 0-14 on the season.

Game One
Georgian Court got to starting pitcher Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.) early in the contest with a run in both the first and second innings. In both frames, Molloy was able to strike with quick responses. Down 1-0 in the first, Milan Botte (Reston, Va.) cracked a long double to left-center field that scored Ashley Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) with the tying run, while in the second inning it was Mullane poking a soft single to right field that scored Sarah Rambo (Eagleville, Pa.) to knot the score up at 2-2. The game remained tied until the fifth inning when the maroon and white broke out the offense. First, Rambo sent a sacrifice fly ball to right field to give the Lions a 3-2 lead, and then back-to-back singles by Alexandra Russo (Coram, N.Y.) and Mullane put Molloy ahead by a 6-2 margin. The lead would be 8-3 going into the seventh after Balinskas cracked a two-run home run that scored Olivia Banulski (Bristol, Conn.). Hawks started the seventh inning but yielded the circle to freshman Jenna Turato (Garden City South, N.Y.) for the final two outs of the contest.

Hawks got the win, dealing six-and-a-third innings of seven-hit ball, surrendering five runs (three earned) while walking three and sending down 10 batters by way of the strikeout. It was her second-straight ten-strikeout performance of the season and third of her Molloy career, while Turato picked up her first career collegiate save in the victory. Mullane went 3-for-3 at the dish in the No. 9 spot in the batting order, knocking in two runs in the victory, while Banulski had three hits in four plate appearances. 

Game Two
The nightcap of the doubleheader was contested under the setting sun and also with temperatures falling on a brisk Wednesday evening in Rockville Centre. That did not, however, stop Balinskas from twirling a masterful game in the circle. The senior pitched six innings of three-hit ball while striking out three as her offense did more than enough to keep her ahead comfortably. Molloy scored three runs in the bottom of the first off a two-run single by Russo that followed an earlier RBI base-knock by Brianna Dalton (Northampton, Pa.). The party rolled on into the fourth inning as freshman Kaitlyn Snyder (Smithtown, N.Y.) drove in her first career RBI with a single while Botte would later drive home Balinskas on a similar base hit. Balinskas and Russo each had two hits and drove in a combined three runs while senior pitcher Samantha Sauer (Plainview, N.Y.) tossed a shutdown seventh inning to clinch the sweep for the maroon and white.

Molloy will now head down to Clermont, Fla. for the National Training Center Spring Games. The action begins on Friday (Mar. 11) at 9 a.m. when the Lions face American International College.