Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College softball team snapped a seven-game losing streak splitting a two-game set with Lafayette College, taking the first game 2-1 in 10 innings before dropping the nightcap 15-1 in five.
Wagner pitcher Judy Betz (Ashburn, VA) opened game one on a mission, throwing two no-hit innings and retiring six of the first seven Lafayette batters.
The Seahawks offense also wasted no time getting into a rhythm as senior Hailey Corthell (Reno, NV) led off the game with a single before being advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Rauscher (Peoria, AZ). Two batters later, junior Laura Hennig (Dyer, IN) blasted her second double in as many games, taking a Lauren Hasson pitch deep over the left fielders head, scoring Corthell and giving the Seahawks the early 1-0 advantage.
Lafayette answered back shortly after, taking hits from Kerry Griffin and Gwen Turner in the top of the third inning that brought one home that evened the score at one apiece.
Both Betz and Hasson found their stride after each gave up a run, as the two allowed just five hits combined through the regulation seven innings of play. With neither team able to push a runner across the plate, the Seahawks found themselves going into just their second extra-inning game of the season.
The two right-handed hurlers stayed on course in the eighth inning setting each opposing team down 1-2-3, heading into the ninth.
Lafayette worked its way to a bases loaded situation in the top half of the ninth with just one out, but Betz got out of the jam by getting Lauren Murphy on a force-out at home and striking out Madeline Allen to end the threat.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, senior Amanda Garcia (Fresno, CA) laced her first double of the year with two outs, but Hasson forced Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY) to fly out to left field to send the game into the 10th.
After Betz set down all three Leopards in the top half, sophomore Carley Nicoletti (Plainville, NY) crushed her first extra-base hit of the year off Hasson with a double to right-centerfield, putting the winning run in scoring position. Two Seahawks later, Corthell rapped a walk-off single through the right side to bring Nicoletti home and seal the 2-1 extra-inning victory.
The Green and White win ended a seven-game losing streak, with Betz picking up her first victory of the year. Hasson was credited with her sixth loss of the season for the Leopards who fell to 1-25.
With darkness rapidly approaching, the two teams quickly readied for the back end of their doubleheader as Garcia and Ali Henry got the nods in game two.
Lafayette came out in the second outing with active bats, jumping all over Garcia in the top of the first inning for four runs on four hits and one Wagner error.
Henry didn't allow the Green and White bats to stay hot as the senior quietly retired the first six Seahawks, keeping the Leopards in command, 4-0.
Lafayette added two more to its total in the top of the third inning with Carly Feiro belting a two-run home run off Garcia to extend the visitors lead to 6-0. Head coach Glen Payne then elected to make a pitching change, bringing in freshman Ashley Rollins (Fairfax, VA) to help control the bats.
Alyssa McCulloch (East Brunswick, NJ) got Wagner on the board in the bottom half of the third inning after the sophomore reached base on a rope double down the left field line, then scored on two wild pitches by Henry.
McCulloch's run would be the only tally of the night for the Seahawks though as the Leopards would go on to add nine runs on eight hits in the final two innings to activate the mercy rule and end the game with a 15-1 win.
Garcia absorbed her seventh loss of the season for the Seahawks who move to 2-20 on the year. The split also gave Lafayette its second win of the season, moving to 2-25.
The Seahawks will dive back into Northeast Conference play this weekend hosting both Quinnipiac and Mount St. Mary's in afternoon doubleheaders. Wagner will take on the Bobcats on Saturday with the first game slated for 1:00 pm, before entertaining The Mount on Sunday in a 12:00 pm start.
NOTES: The Seahawks only two wins of the year have come from their only two extra-inning games … Garcia is currently on a three-game hitting streak.
