Pictured Above: Maddie Marable (photo by: Jim Hogue)Clearwater, FL – Despite two homeruns and 12 runs scored, the Wagner softball team dropped a doubleheader to Northern Kentucky University Tuesday afternoon by scores of 4-3 and 13-9, respectively.
With the loss the Seahawks fall to 5-7 overall while the Norse improve to 4-10.
Game 1 – NKU 4 Wagner 3 (8 innings) The Seahawks battled into extra innings but ended up on the short end of a 4-3 decision to the Norse.
Sophomore first baseman
Maddie Marable (Reno, NV/Earl Wooster) paced the Seahawks going 2-for-3 highlighted by a two-run homerun, two RBI and one run scored.
Wagner cracked the score board first starting in the top of the first inning with a solo shot from freshman second baseman
Karen Prihoda (Hamilton Square, NJ/The Lawrenceville School) over the right field fence. Northern Kentucky's Kate Batolovich responded in the next inning with a solo homerun of her own to make 1-1 after two innings.
Northern Kentucky took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, putting up two runs to give NKU a 3-1 lead.
A critical two-run homerun by Marable evened out the score to 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning. Marable brought in
Lauren Serrato (Litchfield, AZ/Verrado), the pinch runner for freshman catcher
Jessica Carlucci (Manalapan, NJ/Saint John Vianney) who had doubled to left center to lead off the sixth inning.
The winning run came in bottom of the eighth inning on a Seahawks throwing error to Marable. The Norse's Bartolovich bunted to sacrifice the runner placed on second to start the inning, to third base, and then scored on the throwing error.
Wagner collected 11 hits from seven different Seahawks. Junior centerfielder
Brianna Tredway (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West), junior third baseman
Aerika High (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central), sophomore
Laura Petri (Warminster, PA/William Tenant) and Marable had two hits apiece while junior leftfielder
Hana Gilbert (Valley Center, PA/Valley Center) registered a single against NKU.
Reigning Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Week,
Morgan Brown, pitched the complete game, striking out seven batters and allowing no free bases.
Game 2 – NKU 15 Wagner 9 The Seahawks amassed a season-high 16 hits in a game from 10 different players. Four different Seahawks collected two or more hits in a slugfest that featured 24 runs in seven innings.
Wagner began the scoring again, in the first inning from a RBI double through the left side by senior catcher
Megan Moore (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) to score Tredway and make it a 1-0 game.
NKU responded in the top of second inning, putting up four runs off of three-straight singles, a SAC bunt and SAC fly and a triple to end the top of the inning 4-1 in the Norse's' favor.
The Seahawks answered right back, posting five runs in the bottom of the second inning, regaining the lead 6-4. Junior second baseman
Taylor Beeson (Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain) took a free base to begin the Wagner rally. An error on the Norse's catcher allowed Prihoda to reach first and advance Beeson to second. The next batter, junior pitcher
McKaleigh Goodale (Bradenton, FL/Lakewood Ranch) singled through the left side to load to the bases with no outs. Serrato walked to bring in the first of five runs. Two batters later, Marable, had the SAC fly to right field to score Prihoda. Gilbert entered the batter's box next and double to right center to score Serrato and Goodale. A Carlucci single up the middle scored Gilbert to end the second inning rally.
It was a short-lived advantage, however, as NKU came right back for three runs in the top of the third to retake the lead at 7-6, but Wagner didn't give up. Two singles got the Seahawks on base and it was Marable with the single through the right side to score Serrato. Marable then got caught in run-down to score Tredway who was on third.
The fourth inning featured two more runs by the Norse, followed by one run by the Seahawks to make it a 9-9 game. Strong defense from both teams kept the game scoreless throughout the fifth and sixth innings until the Norse managed to break free in the top of the seventh with six runs to secure the 15-9 win over Wagner.
Moore was 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored. Gilbert was also 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and one run scored.
Goodale pitched the first 2.1 innings for the Seahawks before Brown came in for relief. Brown was 2-for-2 with one RBI in the batter's box while striking out three batters in the circle.
The Seahawks return to action Friday, taking on George Mason and Binghamton in a doubleheader at the Stetson Tournament in Deland, FL. The first pitch between Wagner and George Mason is set for 1:30 p.m. '
