March 16, 2007
Miss. Valley St. Box
Lafayette Box Score |
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Kissimmee, FL - Pitching was the story of the day for the Wagner softball team as the Seahawks defeated Lafayette 6-2 and Mississippi Valley St 1-0 at the Rebel Games this afternoon. The wins improve Wagner to 4-4 on the season as the 1-2 pitching duo of senior Morgan Miller (Las Vegas, NV / Silverado) and freshmen Kate Eshelman (Reno, NV / McQueen) allowed just seven hits and one earned run on the day.
The first game victory over Lafayette marked the 300th career win for Head Coach Glen Payne, now in his 16th season overall and 12th with the Seahawks.
In the opener, the Seahawks took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when junior Victoria Batistelli (Huntington Beach, CA / Huntington Beach) lead off with a single and came around to score on a fielder's choice RBI by graduate Joy Gallagher (Hazleton, PA / Hazleton). Senior Natalie Stephens (Jackson, NJ / Jackson) would make it 2-0 in the third scoring on a wild pitch after a leadoff single and a sacrifice that sent her from first to third.
Wagner would break the game open with a three run fourth inning that gave them a 5-0 advantage. Stephens singled in the first run with the bases loaded and was later followed by junior Katie Stevens (Reno, NV / Wooster) who dropped a two out, two-run single into left field.
In the circle, Miller held the Leopards hitless for the first three innings before a leadoff single in the fourth by Kristen Ruckno. Miller (2-1) would allow just three hits in the game to go along with three strikeouts.
Stevens added another two out RBI single in the sixth to put the Seahawks ahead 6-0 before Lafayette scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to account for the final margin.
Senior Christina Hopkins (Edison, NJ / Edison) also had two hits and scored a pair of runs in the ballgame.
In the second game Hopkins forced in the first run drawing a bases loaded walk that send junior Ami Iwicki (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) in to score, giving Wagner a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
That would be the only run Wagner would need with Eshelman dominating on the mound. Eshelman (2-1) tossed her first career shutout allowing just four hits and recording two strikeouts against zero walks while retiring nine in a row at one point.
Wagner continues action at the games tomorrow when they face Vermont at 11:00 am and UW-Green Bay at 3:00 pm.
R H E
Wagner 6 11 2
Lafayette 2 3 2
R H E
Miss. Valley St 0 4 0
Wagner College 1 4 1
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