Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College softball team extended its winning streak to five games as the Seahawks knocked off Saint Peter's College, 5-2 and 9-2, in Friday's non-conference doubleheader at Wagner Field.
Wagner opened up the scoring in a big way in the bottom half of the second inning when an error and back-to-back singles by Alyssa McCulloch (East Brunswick, NJ / East Brunswick) and Hailey Corthell (Reno, NV / Reno) loaded the bases with just one out. Freshman Kristen Matteoni (Reno, NV / Galena) brought them all home in the next at bat, belting a grand slam over the left field fence for her first career home run, giving the Seahawks the early 4-0 lead.
The Peacocks threatened in the top of the fourth inning after consecutive leadoff singles helped put runners on second and third with one out. Wagner pitcher Judy Betz (Ashburn, VA / Broad Run) got the Green & White out of the jam though, getting Vanessa Acosta to strike out looking before Aimee Schnecker grounded out to short to end the inning.
Saint Peter's got on the board in the top of the fifth when a one-out walk and two singles translated into a two-run inning for the Peacocks, cutting Wagner's lead in half, 4-2.
Wagner added one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a RBI single by McCulloch, that scored Brittany Huss (Anthem, AZ / Boulder Creek), extending the Seahawks lead to 5-2. Huss reached base on a leadoff single to left field for her first hit of the day.
Huss' insurance run was the last mark of the day as Betz allowed two hits in the top of the seventh, but left both on base, sealing the 5-2 game one Wagner win.
Betz earned her ninth win of the season, giving up nine hits, allowing only two runs and striking out six. The Peacocks' Shelby Beaver was tagged with her 13th loss of the season for Saint Peter's, who dropped their fourth straight game.
The Wagner bats stayed hot to start game two as Matteoni led off the outing lacing her team-high sixth double of the season to right centerfield before crossing the plate on a RBI by senior Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY / Notre Dame Academy). Matteoni's team-leading 12th run gave the Seahawks the early 1-0 advantage heading into the second inning.
The Seahawks took advantage of a Saint Peter's pitching change in the second inning, as freshman Erica Colon came on to replace Beaver. Colon's control issues led to Wagner's second run of the game as the first-year righty walked three of the first five batters and plunked another, to extend the Seahawk lead to 2-1 with one out. Back-to-back RBI singles by Olsen and Amanda Garcia (Fresno, CA / Fresno) widened the Wagner lead to 4-1 at the end of two.
Saint Peter's got things going in the top of the third inning after a hit batter, followed by consecutive singles by Jillian Picchini and Ashley Brown, loaded the bases with no outs. Sophomore Stephanie Gilronan gave the Peacocks their first run of the game on a RBI fielder's choice to deep second base that scored Nicole Schnecker, making it a 4-1 game with two runners on and one out. Betz allowed nothing further though, striking out the next two batters to end the inning with Wagner 4-1.
Corthell scored in the bottom of the third inning to push Wagner's lead to 5-1 after knocking a two-out single through the left side. The senior crossed the plate after advancing on a walk to Taylor Rauscher (Peoria, AZ / Sunrise Mountain) and an infield error that brought the Green & White's lead to four.
Betz, who also got the nod for game two, retired the first three batters she faced in the top of the fourth, before the Seahawks exploded for another four-run inning in the bottom half. This time it was Corthell who blasted a one-out grand slam, scoring Huss, McCulloch, and Laura Hennig (Dyer, IN / Munster) in the centerfield shot. Corthell's second bomb of the year tied her for the team lead with Olsen as Wagner jumped out to a 9-1 lead.
Saint Peter's scored one run on two hits in the top of the fifth inning, before Wagner closed out the game in the bottom of the sixth with a walk-off single by Vanessa Lenart (Fontana, CA / Henry J. Kaiser), scoring Rauscher and activating the eight-run mercy rule, to give Wagner the 10-2 victory.
With the two wins, the Seahawks increase their win streak to five games as Betz also earned her fifth straight win.
The Seahawks (12-24) will take the field next on Sunday, May 1, for a key Northeast Conference doubleheader against Monmouth. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
