SPARKILL, N.Y. (Apr. 11, 2017) – The Molloy softball team picked up their third straight series sweep, defeating the Spartans of Saint Thomas Aquinas College by scores of 1-0 and 6-2. The Lions now sit at 18-12 on the campaign and 8-4 in East Coast Conference play.

Game One: Molloy 1, STAC 0 (Eight Innings)
The first game between the Lions and the Spartans would take extra innings to determine, as the contest remained scoreless through seven innings.

The Spartans threatened to score in the first and fourth innings, with a baserunner advancing to third base. In both instances, senior pitcher Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.) picked up critical strikeouts to keep the runs off the board. With a runner on third in the fifth inning, junior catcher Alexandra Russo (Coram, N.Y.) threw out Valerie Winalski (East Granby, Conn.) as she attempted to steal second base to end the inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, senior Erin Clinton (Long Beach, Calif.) and graduate student Milan Botte (San Diego, Calif.) were on second and third, threatening to score, but the Spartans defense retired the Lions without a run being scored.

Still scoreless in the final inning of play, sophomore Tara Byrnes (Huntington, N.Y.) singled to start the inning. Pinch runner Bernadette Mullane (Bellmore, N.Y.) advanced to second base following a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Kaitlyn Snyder (Smithtown, N.Y.), but was left stranded. Hawks sent the Spartans down in order in the home half of the inning to force extras.

Botte led off the eighth inning with a single, advancing to third on a single from junior Sarah Rambo (Eagleville, Pa.). Senior Ashley Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) would break the knot in the next at-bat with an RBI single to drive on Botte.

Melissa Sadler (Milton, N.Y.) singled to start the bottom half of the eighth, but the next three Spartans would be retired to give the maroon and white the 1-0 victory in extra innings.

Rambo and Fedor each went 2-for-3 with Fedor picking up the contest's only RBI. Hawks pitched a complete eight innings, surrendering only three hits while striking out eight batters.

Game Two: Molloy 6, STAC 2
The Lions took an early lead in the second game. Juniors Brianna Dalton (Northampton, Pa.) and Tiana DeOliveira (Mastic, N.Y.) singled to start the second inning. Rambo drove in Dalton to give Molloy a 1-0 lead. Dalton would double the lead in the third inning, singling to score junior Olivia Banulski (Bristol, Conn.).

The maroon and white added four runs in the top of the fourth. Rambo kicked things off with a single, advancing to second following Fedor reaching on an error. Snyder bunted her way on, advancing both runners into scoring position. In the next at bat, Clinton singled to score Rambo. Snyder came home following an error to make it 4-0. Botte drove in two with a single.

STAC drove in two runs in the bottom half of the inning on a single from Alyssa Chelak (Poughquag, N.Y.). The score would stick at 6-2 through the bottom half of the seventh inning, where sophomore pitcher Jenna Turato (Garden City South, N.Y.) forced two pop flies and a line drive to retire the side and give Molloy the victory.

Botte and Rambo each went 2-for-4, with Botte driving in two runs. In a complete game, Turato surrendered two runs on five hits while adding four strikeouts.

The Lions return home on Thursday (Apr. 13) as they take on New York Institute of Technology in a doubleheader at Bob Klein Field beginning at 3:00 p.m.