Game One - Akron
Game Two - Columbia

Kissimmee, FL – After coming off its first win of the year, the Wagner softball team dropped both games of its opening day at the 2012 Rebel Games, falling to the Zips of Akron, 3-0, before being shutout by Columbia, 9-0, in six innings in second game.

The two losses send the Seahawks to 1-11 on the year, while Akron stayed above the .500 mark at 10-9, and Columbia ended a seven-game losing streak, moving to 2-7 after its win.

The Seahawks began the morning  against Akron from the Mid-American Conference. The Zips came out poised for a win, as freshman Samantha Bedker (Phoenix, AZ / Sandra Day O'Connor) was in a rut early, facing a one-out, bases loaded situation in the bottom of the first. The first-year righty fought back to strike out the next to batters though, eliminating any possible threat.

Each team went hitless after the first inning until the Zips broke the scoreless tie when back-to-back doubles trasitioned into two runs, putting the visitors from Ohio up 2-0.

Wagner was eager to get something going in the fourth inning, as freshman Kelsey Parker (Lynnwood, WA / Lynnwood) laced her second hit of the morning, with one out to give the Green & White some life. Freshman pitcher Brittany Maurer got out of the inning though, getting Jessica Albarran (Corona, CA / Eleanor Roosevelt) to line out into a double play.

The Zips played small ball in the bottom of the fifth inning to earn their third run of the game, with back-to-back sacrifice hits paying off to give Akron the 3-0 lead.

Wagner junior Brittany Huss (Anthem, AZ / Boulder Creek) added her second hit of the day in the top of the seventh inning, but two-out single would be the last baserunner the Seahawks would get, as Maurer struckout the third out to seal the complete game 3-0 win.

In the afternoon game, the Seahawks battled fellow NYC area squad, Columbia, who was also in need of picking up a much-needed victory. Wagner opened the game with ready bats, as Parker knocked her team-leading second double of the year with two outs in the first. Columbia's first-year pitcher Kali Schultea got Albarran to pop out to first base though, ending the inning 0-0.

As Schultea began to heat up in the circle for the Lions, her team's offense also got things going, as Columbia exploded for a combined six runs on eight hits in their next three innings, jumped to a 6-0 lead going into the fifth inning.

Huss again tried to get her team going in the bottom of the fifth frame, belting a leadoff single through the left side, but Schultea set down the next three Seahawks to preserve the shutout.

Columbia tacked on more in the top of the sixth inning, taking sophomore Ashley Rollins (Fairfax, VA / Fairfax) for three runs on three hits, and activating the seven-run rule, putting her team up 9-0 going into the bottom of the sixth.

Schultea locked down the two-hit shutout though, retiring all three batters she faced in the inning, to institute the mercy rule, giving the Lions the 9-0, six-inning win.

Freshman Olivia Zwick (Surrey, Canada / Earl Marriot), who started the game in the circle for the Seahawks was credited with her third loss of the year, going 2.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and one walk.

The Seahawks will face off against the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Lafayette on day two of the Rebel Spring Games, with their opening game versus the Mavs slated for 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.