Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College softball team opened Northeast Conference (NEC) play with two wins over conference newcomer Mercyhurst, taking game one 5-1 and game two 8-2.
Game One: Wagner 5, Mercyhurst 1
Freshman
Emma Rocha led the Seahawks' offense in the opener, going 2-for-3 with two runs. Sophomore
Sydnie Trujillo also contributed, finishing 2-for-3 at the plate.
Sophomore Karsan Zavala was dominant in the circle, picking up the win after striking out 11 batters and allowing just one run over 7.0 innings.
Wagner took an early lead in the bottom of the first when sophomore Peyton Janicki hit a sac fly to bring freshman
Alayna Giampolo home. Moments later, Rocha stole home to make it 2-0.
The Seahawks extended their lead in the second inning as Giampolo added a sac fly of her own, bringing home sophomore
Noelle Estephan. Janicki then doubled to right field, driving in Rocha to make it 4-0.
In the third, Giampolo grounded out to shortstop but picked up an RBI as sophomore
Sammy Bolton crossed the plate to give Wagner a 5-0 advantage.
Mercyhurst managed a run in the final inning, but it wasn't enough, as Wagner secured a 5-1 victory in the opener.
Game Two: Wagner 8, Mercyhurst 2
Sophomore Peyton Janicki led the way in game two, going 2-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Freshman
Emma Rocha added three runs on a 1-for-3 performance, while sophomore
Lea Rachal was 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Junior
Natalie Rodriguez earned the win in the circle, striking out five batters and allowing two runs in the complete-game effort.
Mercyhurst jumped ahead early in the first with a two-run home run, but Wagner responded with a run in the bottom of the inning. Rachal doubled to left field, bringing Rocha home to make it 2-1.
The Seahawks then erupted in the fourth inning. Junior
Jordyn Dulken singled to left field to score freshman
Savannah Czornomor, followed by Giampolo's sac fly that brought home sophomore
Anna Burke. Dulken then scored on a wild pitch, and a few batters later, Janicki singled to left, driving in Rocha to extend the lead to 5-2.
In the sixth, Janicki doubled to center field to score Rocha, and later scored herself on another wild pitch. Burke added a fielder's choice that allowed junior
Geanice Morales to cross the plate, making it 8-2.
Wagner held Mercyhurst scoreless for the remainder of the game to secure the 8-2 victory.
The Seahawks will wrap up the home series against Mercyhurst on Sunday, March 16, at 11:00 AM ET.
(Note: The game time was moved up from noon due to expected rain in the area.)
