North Myrtle Beach, SC - The Mount Aloysius Softball team began its season Sunday on a beautiful day in North Myrtle Beach. The Mounties started off with a tough walkoff loss to Albertus Magnus by a score of 6-5, but rebounded with a 7-1 win over SUNY Polytechnic.
The Mounties fell behind early in game 1 as Albertus Magnus was able to push two across in the opening frame. After the starter was removed for an injury,
Nina Shatzer (St. Thomas, PA/James Buchanan) entered the game and shut down the Falcons, to allow the Mounties to get their bats going later in the game. She pitched the final 5 and 2/3 innings of the game, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) scattering 9 hits and striking out 6.
Down four runs in the 5th, the Mounties started their comeback. After
Brianna Benscoter (Bloomsburg,PA/Bloomsburg) led off the inning with a bunt single,
Abby Reitz (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle Antrim) walked and the duo pulled off a double steal.
Courtney Link (Ebensburg, PA/Bishop Carroll) drove in the first run for the Mounties, beating out an infield single. She followed this with a steal of second base that allowed Reitz to score the 2nd Mountie run. The Mounties closed the gap to 1 later in the inning using 3 straight singles.
Kayla Hopkins (Canonsburg, PA/Canon McMillan) singled to right, Shatzer singled up the middle and freshman
Karlie Clark (Yukon, PA/Yough) knocked in Hopkins with her first career hit.
Shatzer was able to retire the side with ease in the 5th, which allowed the Mounties to score 2 more in the top of the 6th to gain the lead. Link drove in
Kate Little (Asheville, PA/Penn Cambria) with an RBI groundout to tie the game and
Samantha Smith (Trafford, PA/Penn-Trafford) drove in the go ahead run with an infield single. The lead would not last long as the Falcons were able to push a run across in the bottom half of the inning to return the game to a stalemate, and would go on to win on a two out single in the 7th.
Hopkins had the only multi-hit game for the Mounties, collecting 3 in the contest. Link drove in 2 runs while Benscoter scored 2.
The Mounties didn't stay down as they headed into the second contest of the day. They quickly jumped on SUNY Poly, scoring 5 runs in the opening frame. They used 5 walks, 3 hits and an error to build the lead. Reitz and Link both provided clutch 2 out singles to extend the lead for the Mounties.
Freshman Pitcher
Emily Cochran (Natrona Heights, PA/Highlands) showed some early butterflies, allowing the Wildcats to scratch out a run in the bottom of the first, but quickly settled down. After allowing 2 walks, a hit and a run in the first, she allowed only 2 runners to reach for the remainder of the game. In her debut performance, Cochran allowed 1 unearned run on 2 hits, and 3 walks while striking out 4.
Mount Aloysius tacked on two more runs later in the game. In the 3rd,
Lydia DeFazio (Harrison City, PA/Penn-Trafford) beat out an infield hit after 3 walks to score the 6th run. The final tally for the Mounties would come on a Reitz sacrifice fly after Cochran hit a double down the left field line.Cochran and Reitz each finished the game with 2 hits a piece, while Hopkins reached base 4 more times. Freshman
Tawnya Holben (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) also collected her first career hit, a 2 out double to right field line in the 2nd.
The Mounties will play two more games tomorrow. They take on Salem State at 9:30 and Lancaster Bible College at 11:30.
