CLERMONT, Fla. (March 12, 2017) – The Molloy Lions softball team swept a doubleheader against the Stonehill Skyhawks Sunday morning in the PFX Spring Games at the Legends Way Ballfields. The Lions won game one 2-1 and game two 4-3 in nine innings. Molloy moved to 6-3 overall with the wins.
Game One: Molloy 2, Stonehill 1
Junior Alexandra Russo (Coram, N.Y.) hit a walk off RBI double, which drove in junior Bernadette Mullane (Bellmore, N.Y.), leading the Molloy Lions to a 2-1 victory over the Stonehill Skyhawks in the first game.
Stonehill opened the scoring in the top of the fourth, senior Lianna Jordan (Staten Island, N.Y.) hit a solo home run down the left field line to make it 1-0.
The Lions knotted the score in the bottom half of the fourth. Senior Ashley Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) led off the inning with a single. Later in the frame, Fedor stole second. Freshman Mikaela Tribby (Boca Raton, Fla.) then singled to center to bring in Fedor.
Molloy started another rally in the bottom of the seventh. Tribby led off the inning with a walk. Mullane then pinch ran for her. With one out and a runner on first, Russo drove in the winning run.
Senior Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.) threw a complete game, gave up one run on three hits, and struck out six batters to pick up her second win of the season.
Game Two: Molloy 4, Stonehill 3
The Lions used another set of the late-game heroics in game two of the doubleheader. Junior Tiana Deoliveira (Mastic, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly to drive home the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning to lead Molloy to a 4-3 win.
Deoliveira and graduate student Milan Botte (San Diego, Calif.) recorded two RBIs each in the victory.
Stonehill struck first in the bottom of the first. Erin Brayden (Saco, Maine) hit a RBI triple to make it 1-0.
Molloy scored the next two runs of the game. In the fifth, Deoliveira hit a RBI single to tie the score at one. In the next inning, Botte walked with the bases loaded to put the maroon and white ahead 2-1.
The Skyhawks tied the score at two after Carly Rennie (Chelmsford, Mass.) singled up the middle in the sixth.
The Lions regained the lead in the eighth inning. Botte hit a RBI single to make it 3-2.
But like it did in the sixth, Stonehill evened the score on a RBI single from Olivia Peterson (Westford, Mass.).
With runners on first and third in the ninth, Deoliveira drove in the winning run.
Hawks pitched a scoreless 1.1 innings in relief and struck out two batters to record her third win of the season.
The Lions continue the PFX Spring Games tomorrow (Mar.13) with a doubleheader against American International College. The games are scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
