Game One vs. Valparaiso Box Score
Game Two vs. Detroit Mercy Box Score
Kissimmee, FL – The Wagner College softball team dropped two close games against Valparaiso and Detroit Mercy to extend its losing streak to 11 games today in Kissimmee, Florida. Valparaiso blanked the Seahawks 3-0 in game one while Detroit Mercy edged Wagner 3-2 in game two.
The Seahawks gave sophomore right-hander Judy Betz (Ashburn, VA) got the nod for the days first game against the Crusaders of Valparaiso out of the Horizon League.
Valparaiso, who entered the game knocking 14 homeruns as a team, added to that mark in the top of the second inning as Jordan Rutkowski belted her team-high fifth homer of the season to give the Crusaders the early 1-0 lead. The very next batter, Sadie Conner also scored after her single to right field transitioned into the second Crusader run on back-to-back hits by Jill Jacobson and Amanda Wisniewski.
Valparaiso built upon its lead in the top of the third inning when Angie Doerffler scored on a double by Sara Strickland, extending the Crusader lead to 3-0.
Wagner got its first hit of the game in the bottom half of the third inning with a Taylor Rauscher (Peoria, AZ) shot up the middle, which advanced MacKenzie Alfaro (Riverside, CA) who reached base on a walk. Valparaiso's hurler Amanda Bolton got the next two Seahawks to retire without reaching base, ending any potential Wagner scoring chance.
After Betz went one-two-three in the top of the fourth, the Seahawks got their bats going in the bottom half inning, with back-to-back hits by Brittany Huss (Anthem, AZ) and Amanda Garcia (Fresno, CA). Freshman Kristen Matteoni (Reno, NV) did her job in the three-spot, laying down a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt, advancing both Huss and Garcia into scoring position. After a brief timeout talk with her coach, Bolton settled down and got Alyssa McCulloch (East Brunswick, NJ) and Carly Nicoletti (Plainville, NY) to strike out swinging, preserving the Crusaders 3-0 lead.
Betz threw the final three innings allowing only one hit and no runs, keeping the game within striking distance at 3-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Hailey Corthell (Reno, NV) led off reaching on a walk before Alfaro grounded into 5-4-3 double play, leaving the Seahawks with one out remaining.
Rauscher gave the Green and White their final hit of the day, recording her second of the afternoon and team-high seventh on the season, before Bolton got Vanessa Lenart (Fontana, CA) to strike out swinging to seal the complete game shutout.
Betz was credited with her sixth loss of the season, allowing three runs on nine hits and striking out three. The loss kept Wagner winless on the year, falling to 0-10.
Wagner looked to break its streak in the day's second game taking the Titans of Detroit Mercy, who also made the trip to Florida out of the Horizon League.
In the matinee game, it was the Seahawks who jumped out front early, when Matteoni reached base on a fielder's choice in the top of the second inning. Two batters later, Corthell drove home her third RBI of the season, scoring Matteoni and giving Wagner its first lead of the season, 1-0.
Garcia, who took to the circle for the Seahawks, helped her cause in the top of the fourth inning, blasting a leadoff single to left field for her second hit of the day. After a sacrifice bunt by Matteoni advanced Garcia to second, Corthell, again, laced a shot at the shortstop who came up firing, but launched her throw over the first baseman's head, scoring Garcia and widening the Seahawks lead to 2-0.
The Titans tied the game up in the bottom half of the fourth after Garcia walked two and allowed one hit, before a Wagner infield error cost the Seahawks two runs, evening the score at two apiece.
One inning later, the Titans would take the upper hand on a RBI fielder's choice by Shelby Long that scored Rachel Copple, who was on base from a leadoff single. The 3-2 lead, would be all that the Titans would need to close out the win, as Julia Maksym would allow just two hits in the final three innings to cap off the victory.
The loss extended the Seahawks losing streak to 11 games as Garcia took her third loss of the season giving up just four hits and one earned run, but three runs total.
Wagner will have two more chances to get in the win column on its spring break trip as the team will take on Yale and Colgate in the final day of the Rebel Games. The first game against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
