Photo By Nick Monaghan
Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College softball team exploded for 11 runs in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader against Yale, as the Seahawks earned an 11-3 victory in five innings over the Bulldogs in their home opener on Grymes Hill.
In game two, Wagner fell 7-5 in extra innings. With the split, Wagner now sits at 5-13 on the season, while the Bulldogs are 7-10.
Game 1 Recap: Wagner 11-3 Yale
The Seahawk offense scored 11 consecutive runs after the Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Wagner tied the game in the bottom of the first on RBIs by senior
Lauren Serrato, junior
Kaila Smith, and reigning NEC Rookie of the Week
Natalie Del Ponte before striking big in the fourth and fifth inning.
Defensively, the game's turning point took place in the second inning. After two hits gave the Bulldogs runners on first and third with one out, head coach
Lindsey Ubrun gave the ball to freshman pitcher
Kayla Hooks to relieve fellow first-year Seahawk
Eve Harvey.
Hooks walked the first batter she faced, but struck out two consecutive Bulldogs to end the inning with the bases loaded. Hooks did not give up a run all afternoon and earned the first victory of her collegiate career.
Three consecutive RBI singles by Serrato, junior
Amelia Van Orman, and Smith broke the tie and gave the Seahawks a 7-3 advantage in the fourth inning.
Looking for insurance, the Wagner offense put the game away in the fifth by scoring five runs, which once again included RBI hits by Serrato, Smith, and Del Ponte.
Serrato, who came into the afternoon with two RBIs on the season, led the Green and White with three hits, two runs, and three RBIs, while senior
Karen Prihoda led the Seahawks with three runs scored.
Smith and Del Ponte added two hits and two RBIs apiece as the Wagner offense scored double digit runs for the second time this season (13 vs Dayton on 3/9).
Game 2 Recap: Yale 7, Wagner 5
In a back-and-forth game early on, Wagner took a 1-0 lead on a
Jessica Carlucci RBI single in the second.
Following two runs by the Bulldogs in the top of the third, Wagner added two runs on the bases in the fourth and two runs on RBI singles by Van Orman and junior
Alyssa Tucker in the fifth to open up a 5-2 lead.
The Bulldogs rallied by scoring three runs in the top half of the seventh and won the game with two runs in the eighth.
Seven Seahawk batters combined for 12 hits, as Carlucci led the way with three hits while Del Ponte, Tucker, and junior
Hannah Lewis recorded two hits apiece.
The Sehawks are next in action on Saturday, as they travel to Monmouth for two games, starting at noon.
