On Sunday April 2, the Stevens softball team played in a pair of MAC Freedom conference games against DeSales University at the Weehawken Waterfront Park. The Ducks won the first game 6-5, but DeSales won the second game 6-3. These games brought the Ducks to a fourth-place ranking in the MAC Freedom standings as well as a 4-2 conference record and a 12-10 overall record. However, the Ducks still rank higher than DeSales, as they hold a sixth-place ranking with a 3-3 conference record and a 12-6 overall record.
Stevens had a strong start to the first game, with junior Jessica Guerrero stealing second after a leadoff walk. Fifth-year Meg Halloran had a base hit bunt and she made it to second because of a DeSales error. Guerrero also capitalized on this error and scored, giving Stevens a 1-0 lead. This momentum was carried into the third quarter, with two more runs being scored. Guerrero hit a single and Halloran hit a bunt single, putting two runners on base. Senior Olivia Warner hit a RBI (runs-batted-in) single, bringing the Ducks’ lead to 2-0. Sophomore Madison Subbiondo hit a RBI double to allow Warner to score.
Following this successful inning, the fourth inning continued carrying this momentum. Graduate student Siobhan Cottell started off the inning with a single. Following her was senior Alex Schoellig, who hit a bunt to allow Cottell to go to second base. Sophomore Emma Ruiz’s hit allowed Cottell to score. Guerrero’s home run to center field pushed the Ducks to a 6-0 lead.
First-year Ella Tozduman pitched all but one-third of an inning, and only gave up two runs on six hits and struck out four at bat. First-year Ashley Allen also pitched, and gave up three runs on three hits.
In the second game, DeSales started off very strong, with three runs in the first inning and two more in the second, giving them a 5-0 lead. In the bottom of the second inning, the Ducks began to put some runs on the board. Cottell hit a double, placing a runner in scoring position for the Ducks. Schoellig hit a single, allowing Cottell to score. The Ducks sustained this progress in the bottom of the third inning. Guerrero hit a single, in which Halloran followed by hitting a bunt single, and Ruiz followed with another single to load the bases. Following this, Warner’s hit allowed Guerrero to score.
DeSales increased their lead at the top of the seventh, with the game now at 6-2. The Ducks tried to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning, but unfortunately fell short by three.
After these games, head Coach Emily Kaczmarek pointed out that the pair of games was a “Tough split for us… Fortunately, we have some practice days ahead to reprogram, challenge ourselves, and prepare for our upcoming conference doubleheader against Misericordia.” The Ducks lost both games against Misericordia, at margins of 1-8 and 11-12.
Stevens Softball currently stands at 12-12 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The team’s next games are April 15 against Lycoming College, another conference doubleheader, and will be played at Weehawken Waterfront Park.
