March 20, 2008
Stats
Orlando, FL - The Wagner College softball team made it three-straight victories in memorable fashion this afternoon against Siena College at Oren Brown Park at the Rebel Games as senior shortstop Katie Stevens (Reno, NV/Wooster) became the all-time hit leader in Wagner history (190) with a base hit up the middle in the first and sophomore infielder Kate Eshelman (Reno, NV/McQueen) came back off an injury to hit two homeruns. The game was called after the eight-run rule was excercised in the bottom of the sixth making the final 12-4 in favor of the Seahawks, who now move to 5-8 overall. The Saints move to 4-10.
The game was a tale of an impressive milestone reached and the Seahawk offense keeping up its torrid pace.
After freshman starting pitcher Heather Ochoa (Los Angeles, CA/Notre Dame) was relieved in the top half of the first inning by sophomore hurler Danielle Wagoner (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley) after walking the bases loaded without retiring a batter Wagoner came in and quickly doused the fire. She got out of the inning with only four runs in Siena's column - all but one attributed to Ochoa - by giving up only one hit and stranding a batter.
It was then in the next half inning - the bottom of the first - that Katie Stevens became the most prolific hitter in Wagner softball history with a base hit up the middle that drove in freshman leftfielder Hailey Corthell (Reno, NV/Reno), after Seahawk lead-off hitter freshman Emily Pierce (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista) scored on a passed ball, cutting the lead in half.
The 190th hit in Stevens' career broke the previous record of 189 that was held by former Seahawk Marie Bianca who played on Grymes Hills from 2001 to 2004. The Reno native would finish this afternoon's game with an all-time tally of 191, as she would get another single up the middle in the bottom of the second inning - the stanza that the Seahawks would take the lead from the Saints for good.
In that turn at bat Kate Eshelman lead off the inning with a solo-homerun, the first of her two on the day and part of four total for the Seahawks. After senior rightfielder Ami Iwicki (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) walked knocking Siena's starting pitcher out of the game, freshman third baseman Jamie El-Aazami (Houston, TX/Cypress Hills) singled to centerfielder. Pierce joined in with a single of her own but was gunned at second trying to stretch it into a double but not before driving in Iwicki for an RBI. Before Stevens' aforementioned second single of the game Corthell drove in El-Aazami with a sacrifice. Senior catcher Victoria Batistelli (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach) smoked the ball over the Siena third baseman's head but the inning was abruptly ended when Stevens attempted to go from first to third and was thrown out from left field.
This lead, 6-4, was taken into the bottom of the fourth inning and the Seahawks would do nothing but extend it.
With two outs Katie Stevens drew a walk and only had to wait for the next batter to get driven in when Victoria Batistelli made it three-straight innings a Wagner hitter would go yard launching a two-run bomb to centerfield, her second this season. Eshelman had hit her second homer of the game (and season) over the left field fence the inning previous with no one on base.
After junior infielder Andrea Lazzari (Reno, NV/Wooster) singled to left field junior designated player Jaclyn Vanore (Palisades Park, NJ/Paramus Catholic) followed Batistelli's clout with a homer of her own, also to centerfield (her second of the year), making the score 10-4 after four complete.
With Wagoner keeping the Saints from putting any further runs on the board from the first inning on the Seahawks put an end to the lopsided affair, finally, in the bottom of the sixth inning.
In that home half they would bring across two baserunners in Stevens - on an Andrea Lazaari base hit - and Lazzari herself who would come around to score after Ami Iwicki reached on an error by the shortstop, ending the game by way of the mercy rule with an eight-run after at least five innings completed.
As for the win, Wagoner would earn it after going the distance in relief giving up three hits, one earned run, walking two and striking out three. She moved to 2-2 on the year.
The Seahawks now get ready for another doubleheader tomorrow starting at 9 a.m. against Lafayette College and Brown University soon after at 11 a.m.
