Pictured Above: Sophomore Karen Prihoda (photo by Aaron Cornia)

Box Score Game 1 | Box Score Game 2

Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College softball team came away with a split in its first Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader of the season against the visiting Central Connecticut Blue Devils on Monday afternoon.

The Seahawks dropped game one 6-4, before earning a 9-6 victory in game two of the afternoon. At the conclusion of today's games, the Green and White now stand at 5-15 on the season and 1-1 in the NEC..

Game 2 Recap: Wagner 9, Central Connecticut 6

Sophomore Karen Prihoda (Hamilton Square, NJ / The Lawrenceville School) went 3-for-4 with a home run and four runs scored in the second game to lead the Seahawks in what was a back-and-forth game early on.

After the Blue Devils jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, an RBI groundout by senior Brianna Tredway (Downingtown, PA / Downingtown West) and an RBI single by junior catcher Stefanie Aplin (Nesconset, NY / Smithtown East / Georgian Court University) tied the game at two apiece in the home half of the first. 

The teams continued to trade runs in the third inning, as three CCSU runs were countered by an Aplin RBI groundout, an Alyssa Tucker (Laguna Niguel, CA / Santa Margarita Catholic) RBI single and a Hana Gilbert (Valley Center, CA / Valley Center) single to score freshman Zoe Bender (Glen Rock, NJ / Glen Rock) to tie it up at 5-5 after three innings.

Gilbert then broke the tie in the fourth inning with a single to center field to score both Bender and Prihoda and give Wagner a two-run advantage at 7-5.

The Blue Devils notched on a run in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to one, but Prihoda's second home run of the season proved to be the spark the Seahawks needed to close out the game, as she led off the sixth inning with a solo shot to straightaway center field. Another Aplin RBI single four batters later then gave Wagner a three-run lead for what proved to be the final score at 9-6.

Head coach Angie Churchill used three different pitchers in the contest to get the victory, as senior Gina Massaro (Levittown, PA / Conwell-Egan Catholic) earned her first win of the season, while senior McKaleigh Goodale (Bradenton, FL / Lakewood Ranch) shut the door for her second save of the season, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings. Freshman Amelia van Orman (Orange, CA / Lutheran High School of Orange County) started the game, working the first 2.2 innings.

The Seahawks banged out 14 hits in the game with  while Prihoda and Bender combing for seven runs scored, while Aplin led the way with three RBIs.
 
Game 1 Recap: Wagner 4, Central Connecticut 6

The Seahawks jumped out to a 4-1 lead before the Blue Devils stormed back with four runs in the seventh inning to earn the comeback victory in the first game of the afternoon.

After giving up a run in the top of the first inning, Wagner answered with a three-run rally. The Seahawks loaded the bases and scored their first run on a bases loaded walk to Aplin, bringing home Bender. Next up, van Orman was able to put the ball in play, scoring Tredway on an RBI groundout to second base. Freshman Kaila Smith (Millville, NJ / Millville) then capped the three-run rally with an RBI single to left, plating Gilbert.

In the second inning, Bender legged out an infield single to score pinch runner Ashley Lubisky (Jenkintown, PA / Springside Chestnut Hill Academy), giving the Seahawks the three-run advantage at 4-1. 

CCSU then ended the game with five straight runs, scoring one run in the fourth on an error, while adding four additional runs in the seventh to win their first conference game of the season.

Bender, Prihoda, and Aplin had two hits apiece in game one, while Smith and Tucker added one run.

Goodale was charged with the loss, while junior Morgan Brown (Buckeye, AZ / Verrado) started the game, throwing 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run.

The Seahawks will be back in action on Wednesday, when they travel to Monmouth for two games, starting at 2:00 pm.