By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – April 6, 2013) Host Morrisville State College softball fell in their 2013 North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) home opener by 6-0 and 10-1 finals to nearby SUNYIT Saturday afternoon in Morrisville.
The Mustangs drop to 0-8 overall on the season, 0-2 in conference play, while the Wildcats improve to 8-2, 2-0 overall in the NEAC.
In the first of the day’s action, Krista Pristera (New Hartford, N.Y.) and Nicolette Kennedy (Yonkers, N.Y.) each went 1-for-2 from the plate and posted one run apiece, to lead SUNYIT from the plate. Kennedy’s hit was a triple in the top of the seventh inning.
Erica Hovey (Dexter, N.Y.) recorded the win on the mound, allowing just two hits in seven innings pitched, while collecting four strike outs.
Nicole Duchene (Oneida, N.Y.) and Eileen Farrell (Johnsonville, N.Y.) each registered the Mustangs lone hits in the opener, going 1-for-3 from the plate.
Jenna D’Ercole (Highland, N.Y.) threw the loss, allowing six hits and six runs in seven innings pitched, posting seven strikeouts.
SUNYIT jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, capitalizing on a Lyndsey Brognano (Rome, N.Y.) double hit to the fence and two D’Ercole wild pitches.
Holding the two run lead through the bottom of the fourth, the Wildcats loaded the bases and following a base on balls scoring run, Tiffani Troilo (Rye Brook, N.Y.) hit a single to score two more, before Emily Lee (Boonville, N.Y.) added another single and run as SUNYIT jumped out to a 6-0 margin.
Morrisville State rallied the bats in the bottom of the sixth with Duchene and Farrell each recording hits to load the bases with two outs, but the Mustangs struggled to get any further as SUNYIT closed out the inning with an infield fly catch.
In the second of the day’s doubleheader action, Pristera again led the Wildcats from the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI’s and a run while teammate Erika Charbonneau (Boonville, N.Y.) hit 2-for-3 with a double and RBI as SUNYIT posted the 10-1 victory in five innings.
Fallon Reinold (Holland Patent, N.Y.) registered the win, throwing five innings and allowing four hits, one run, while striking out five.
Tiffany Burks (Macedon, N.Y.) posted the loss for the Mustangs, throwing five innings and allowing 11 hits, 10 runs (seven earned), striking out two. Burks also went 1-for-2 from the plate to lead Morrisville State, along with teammates Tomara Bodnaruik (Spey, N.Y.) and Kendra Deno (Downsville, N.Y.).
SUNYIT held a 2-0 run advantage through the top of the third, until the Mustangs rallied the bats behind a Bodnaruik and Deno single, before a fielding error landed Duchene on first and scored Bodnaruik to make it a 2-1 ball game.
The Wildcats added a run in the top of the fourth and held Morrisville State scoreless in the bottom of the inning, before breaking out a seven run fifth behind four Mustang errors to capture the conference sweep.
The Mustangs return to the field tomorrow, (April 7) traveling to Wells College for a doubleheader slated to begin at 1 p.m.