Rockville Centre, N.Y. - The softball team opened the home portion of the 2024 season with a doubleheader sweep of Southern Connecticut State University, 1-0 and 4-3. The Lions improved to 4-12 while SCSU fell to 2-8. 

Game One: Molloy 1, SCSU 0
How it Happened

• The teams combined for three hits through the first three and a half innings. 
• Graduate student Alex Burns broke the stalemate with a lead off home run to put Molloy in front, 1-0.
• Freshman pitcher Sophia Mariottini allowed just one base runner for the Owls in the final three innings to secure the one-run victory.

Top Performances

• Senior Chrissie Huhn led with two hits, including a double.
• Burns, freshman Stevie Dabbadie, and juniors Katie Hand and Cheralyn Dusharme each had a hit in the effort.
• Mariottini sat down a career-high nine batters and tossed a two-hitter to improve to 2-6 on the season.

Game Two: Molloy 4, SCSU 3
How it Happened

• The Owls were first to score, plating two runs on an outfield single from Karley Austin and a ground out from Rachel Miller.
• A solo home run from Dominique DeLutri over the right field fence made it 3-0 visitors after two innings of play.
• Graduate student Steph Conrade legged out an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the third before advancing on a wild pitch. Burns drove in the center fielder with a left field single to put Molloy on the board.
• A lead off walk and stolen base for sophomore Emily McGurk set the table for freshman Amaya Page to move the third baseman just 60 feet from scoring in the bottom of the fifth inning. 
• Conrade doubled to right field to score McGurk and bring the Lions within one, 3-2.
• A walk to Hand and a back-to-back infield fielding errors plated two runs for the home team in the bottom of the sixth inning, putting Molloy ahead, 4-3.
• Junior pitcher Natalie Moussa retired three of the final four batters, including a diving catch from freshman Amaya Page for the final out, to earn her first win of 2024.

Top Performances

• Conrade went 2-for-3 with a double, and RBI and a stolen base.
• Burns and Hand accounted for Molloy's other two his with McGurk adding a stolen base.
• Freshman Stevie Dabbadie tossed 1.1 innings in the start, striking out one.
• Moussa threw 5.2 innings in relief, striking out one and allowing no runs on four hits to improve to 1-0.

Up Next
Molloy continues a series of 10-straight home games on Wednesday (Mar. 20) against Holy Family University at 3:30 p.m. from Bob Klein Field.