MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Feb. 19, 2017) – The Lions head home from their opening tournament with a 4-2 record after splitting games with Felician University and West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The maroon and white were unable to score a run against Felician, despite seven hits, and fell 3-0 before defeating West Chester by a score of 7-5 off eight hits.

Game 1: Felician 3, Molloy 0
Junior Olivia Banulski (Bristol, Conn.) picked up the game's first hit with a single to left field. The center fielder advanced to second on a wild pitch before stealing third, but was unable to score.
Jackie Duenas (Riverside, Calif.) broke the tie following a single through second base to score two runs in the top of the third inning. The teams remained scoreless through the next three innings until the Golden Falcons tallied a third run on a sacrifice fly to left from Brittney Lazar (Seaford, N.Y.).

Molloy had their best chance in the bottom of the seventh. Junior Alexandra Russo (Coram, N.Y.) led off with a double to straight center, advancing to third on a single from senior Erin Clinton (Long Beach, Calif.). Sarah Rambo (Eagleville, Pa.) advanced Clinton to second on a ground out, but Felician retired the side to take home a 3-0 win.

Senior pitcher Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.) threw a complete game in the loss, taking her record to 1-2, striking out five batters. Ashley Owens (Lockport, N.Y.) picked up one strike out with two wild pitches and a walk to get the win to improve to 2-1 on the season. Junoir Tiana Deoliveira (Mastic, N.Y.) led the Lions offensively, going two-for-two at the plate with a walk.

Game 2: Molloy 7, West Chester 5
The Golden Rams struck first with two RBI singles to go up 2-0 after the first inning. The maroon and white responded with an explosive second inning. Junior Brianna Dalton (Northampton, Pa.) drew a leadoff walk. Rambo and Russo each singled, scoring Dalton, before Clinton laced a double to left to score Russo. With the bases loaded, senior Ashley Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) launched a triple down the right field line, putting Molloy up 6-2. Fedor crossed the plate to increase the lead to five runs on a ground out by Banulski.

West Chester added a third run on a double down the left field line from Cat Hammer (Philadelphia, Pa.) in the bottom half of the third inning. The score would remain 7-3 until the bottom of the fifth inning, where the Golden Rams came within two runs on singles from Alyssa Heroin (Avon Grove, Pa.) and Courtney Stump (Kutztown, Pa.). The Lions worked their way out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh, with runners on second and third threatening to tie the game. Hawks came up with a big strike out to earn the save for Molloy.

Sophomore Jenna Turato (Garden City South, N.Y.) totaled five strike outs through 4.2 innings of work for the win, improving to 3-0 on the season. Hawks picked up her second save of the year, facing ten batters with two strike outs. Fedor and Russo led the way offensively, picking up five combined RBIs.

The team next heads to Clermont, Fla. for the PFX Spring Games where Molloy will face Southern New Hampshire University in a doubleheader beginning at 6:00 p.m.