Box Score

Kissimmee, FL – The Wagner College softball team was edged by Utah Valley, 4-2, on Tuesday at the Osceola County Softball Complex. In the defeat, the Seahawks fall to 2-11, while the Wolverines improve to 10-8.
 
Utah Valley was held scoreless in the top of the first on a fine defensive play by sophomore shortstop Kelsey Parker (Lynnwood, WA/ Lynnwood). Parker ranged to her left and threw a perfect strike to the plate, where sophomore catcher Jessica Albarran (Corona, CA/ Eleanor Roosevelt) applied the tag to keep the Wolverines off the board. Albarran ended another Wolverine threat the following inning when she threw out a Utah Valley runner attempting to steal second with two outs.
 
Freshman Abigail Beasley (Peoria, AZ/ Centennial) did her part to keep the game scoreless in the third inning. With one out, Beasley charged a ball hit into right field and came up firing, with Albarran applying the tag in time for the out at the plate for Beasley's first career outfield assist.
 
A fourth inning scoring threat was quelled when junior second baseman Kristen Matteoni (Reno, NV/ Galena) snared a line drive at her feet, firing back to first to double off the Wolverine runner.
 
The Seahawks would break through in the bottom of the inning, with Beasley and Albarran adding timely hitting to their strong defensive play. Beasley led off the inning by lining a single into left field, and advanced to second on a sacrifice. She was then lifted for a pinch-runner in freshman Hailee Renkers (Surrey, British Columbia/ Earl Marriott), with Albarran coming to the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, the Seahawk catcher drove the ball high and deep to left for a two-run homer, her first of the season.
 
The Wolverines tied the game on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the fifth, on a line drive double that snuck just inside the left field foul line. Utah Valley took a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and extended the advantage to 4-2 in the seventh. Senior Carley Nicoletti (Plainville, NY/ CW Baker) kept the score at 4-2 with an outfield assist of her own, keeping a second run off the board on the Wolverine hit that made it 4-2.
 
Senior Judy Betz (Ashburn, VA/ Broad Run) went the distance for the Seahawks, giving up four runs (three earned) over seven innings.
 
Wagner returns to action on Thursday in Kissimmee with games against Butler (3:00 pm) and Lehigh (5:00 pm).