Salisbury, N.C. - The 2026 softball season began on a thrilling note with the Lions taking an 11-7 victory over Davis & Elkins College in nine innings at Whitley Field. Molloy fell to the host Catawba College later in the day, 10-2, in six innings. The win marks the first in the era of Head Coach Dayna Russo. 

Game One: Molloy 11, Davis & Elkins 7 (9 Innings)
How it Happened

• After two scoreless innings, the Senators were first to get on the board, taking advantage of two walks and a single to load the bases before an RBI fielder's choice from Lorena Ruiz-Rubio plated a run. 
• The Lions' bats went to work in the top of the fourth with sophomore Gwen Woodsit singled through the right side before taking advantage of a wild pitch to move into scoring position. Junior Stevie Dabbadie came to the plate and drove the ball over the left field fence to put Molloy ahead, 2-1. 
• Molloy added to the lead in the fifth after back-to-back walks to senior Emily McGurk and sophomore Megan Wegel. Dabbadie picked up her third RBI of the afternoon with a double to right field to make it 3-1.
• The Senators regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Ruiz-Rubio drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single to the outfield to knot the score before a pinch hit ground out from Maisie McDaniel put them ahead 4-3.
• A single from sophomore Casey Kissinger, a walk to McGurk and sophomore Madeline Millman being hit by a pitch loaded the bases for Wegel. The center fielder pushed a single through the left side gap to plate two runs and put the Lions back ahead, 5-4. 
• Molloy would load the bases again in the seventh inning following a fielding error and singles from junior Mariah Cepeda and senior Mae Savage. McGurk was hit by a pitch to pick up an RBI and add an insurance run for the Lions. 
• The game was nearly decided in favor of Molloy in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and third with two outs. A wild pitch brought the Senators within one before a single from Alyssia Munoz knotted the score and forced extras.
• With the ghost runner rule in effect, the Lions started with freshman Alyssa Bueno on second base. A ground out from Woodsit moved her just 60 feet from home before a Dabbadie double made it 7-6. 
• Davis & Elkins also capitalized on the runner placed on second base, utilizing two sacrifice bunts and a stolen base to plate a run and keep the game going. 
• Molloy responded in kind to start the ninth inning, advancing Cepeda to third on a sacrifice bunt. Redshirt sophomore Alexis Montgomery tied the game again with a single to center field. The designated player stole second before a single and stolen base from Savage put runners on second and third. 
• McGurk put the ball to the left center grass to add an insurance run for the Lions before Bueno picked up her first collegiate hit with a two-run single through the right side to make it 11-7. 
• A lead-off walk put runners on first and second to start the bottom half of the inning for the Senators. Freshman Ava Zicchinelli forced two fly outs and recorded her eighth strikeout of the game to earn her first collegiate win. 

Top Performances

• Zicchinelli tossed a complete game, striking out eight.
• Dabbadie started the season off with four RBI on a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a homer and two doubles. 
• McGurk (2-for-2), Bueno (1-for-2), and Wegel (1-for-5) followed with two RBI each. 
• Savage joined Dabbadie with three hits. Kissinger and Montgomery both had two with Montgomery and McGurk each nabbing two bases. 

Game Two: Catawba 10, Molloy 2 (6 Innings)
How it Happened

• The Lions' bats went right back to work to start the second game. Savage and McGurk both singled in their first at bats, adding a stolen base to put runners at second and third. Woodsit cleared the bases with an outfield single to make it 2-0. 
• Two doubles put Catawba on the board quickly in the home half of the inning before a fielding error tied the game at two. 
• The Indians continued in the second inning - two singles and a sacrifice bunt set the stage for a sacrifice fly from Grace Flynn to make it 3-2. 
• A combined four home runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings helped push the home team ahead before a bases-loaded walk invoked the mercy rule at 10-2. 

Top Performances

• Woodsit drove in both of Molloy's runs, going 1-for-3. 
• Seven members of the cardinal and white recorded a hit: Savage, McGurk, Woodsit, Dabbadie, Cepeda Kissinger, and Montgomery. 
• McGurk added the Lions' lone stolen base on the contest.
• Freshman Skyler Secondino picked up the loss in her debut, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits, striking out one. 

Up Next
Molloy continues the opening weekend road trip tomorrow (Feb. 14) with a doubleheader at Wingate starting at 10:00 a.m.