Pictured Above: Senior
Hana Gilbert (Photo: Aaron Cornia)
Box Score Game 1 | Box Score Game 2
Staten Island, NY – Senior
Hana Gilbert (Valley Center, CA / Valley Center) collected seven RBIs in game two after sophomore
Lauren Serrato (Litchfield Park, AZ / Verrado High School) contributed the game-winning RBI single in game one, as the Wagner College softball team earned a doubleheader sweep over Mount St. Mary's on Monday afternoon.
The Seahawks took game one by a score of 2-1, before erupting for 15 hits in a 15-3 victory in game two, improving to 8-4 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play and continuing their quest of qualifying for next month's four-team NEC tournament.
Game 1 Recap – Wagner 2, Mount St. Mary's 1
In an evenly-contested contest that featured seven hits on both sides, Gilbert and freshman
Amelia Van Orman (Orange, CA / Lutheran High School of Orange County) collected two hits apiece, while sophomores Serrato and
Karen Prihoda (Hamilton Square, NJ / The Lawrenceville School), along with junior
Stefanie Aplin (Nesconset, NY / Smithtown East / Georgian Court University) each had one base hit.
The teams traded runs in the third inning. After the Mountaineers jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Jessica Greenwald, Wagner answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman
Zoe Bender (Glen Rock, NJ / Glen Rock) reached on an error before Alpin reached on a bloop single that fell just behind the infielders, moving Bender to third. Next up, senior
Brianna Tredway (Downingtown, PA / Downingtown West) put the ball in play and tied the contest with an RBI groundout.
In the fourth, the Green and White struck again. Gilbert led off the frame with a double into the gap in right center, followed up by a walk to Van Orman. A sacrifice bunt by freshman
Alyssa Tucker (Laguna Niguel, CA / Santa Margarita Catholic) set up Serrato, who singled to shortstop to give the Seahawks the lead.
In the circle, junior
Morgan Brown (Buckeye, AZ / Verrado) improved to 9-6 on the season after going the distance, allowing just one run and striking out two batters.
The Mountaineers threatened in the top of the seventh, but Tucker's great defensive play at shortstop prevented the leadoff hitter from reaching, as she snagged a line drive out of the air. An ensuing walk was followed by a fielder's choice and a groundout to end the game and give Wagner the win.
Game 2 Recap – Wagner 15, Mount St. Mary's 3
Wagner collected 15 base hits, including two home runs, and scored four runs in back-to-back innings to open the game, as Gilbert and freshman
Kaila Smith had three hits to lead the team. The 15-run performance is the most runs in a single game for the Seahawks since April 3, 2014 against Saint Peter's, when the Green and White picked up a 20-4 victory.
After an error on the Mountaineers' second baseman allowed Prihoda to open the scoring, Gilbert knocked in her first runs of the afternoon with an RBI single to right center. Van Orman followed it up with a single to center field to score Smith, giving Wagner a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The Mountaineers got into the scoring column with one run in the second, but the Seahawks loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning and scored four runs on three straight singles by Smith, Van Orman, and Tucker.
In the third, Gilbert picked up two more RBIs with a single to right that scored both Smith and Tredway.
The Seahawks then hit two home runs in the fourth inning, as Prihoda hit a towering two-run shot to right field, while Gilbert finished her memorable performance with a three-run shot to left center.
Mount St. Mary's got one back in each of the third and fifth innings but it wasn't enough as senior
McKaleigh Goodale (Bradenton, FL / Lakewood Ranch) picked up the complete game victory, striking out two in five innings of work.
The Seahawks will close out the regular season with a pair of road doubleheaders, at Robert Morris on Saturday, April 29, and at Saint Francis U on Sunday, April 30.
