5/7/2009
Mahwah, NJ: In the first round of the 2009 NCAA Softball Tournament the number one-seeded Falcons of Messiah College defeated the number eight-seeded Dolphins of the College of Staten Island, 4-0, while #4 Moravian defeated #5 Eastern Connecticut, 4-1. The number three-seeded Profs of Rowan University defeated #6 Farmingdale State, 7-1, before game four was halted after five innings of play due to darkness. #2 William Paterson University was leading #7 Muhlenberg, 5-2. The game will be picked up tomorrow at 10:00 AM.
The game remained scoreless in the first match-up until the bottom of the 5th inning when junior Abby Bergakker (Grand Rapids, MI) gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead, with what turned out to be the game winning run, a solo homerun over the left field fence.
The Falcons scored three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to go up 4-0. Rookie Abi Buchler (Fenwick Island, DE) scored on an RBI single to center field by rookie Jaclyn Merkel (Linthicum, MD) before sophomore Rebekkah Funk (Carisle, PA) scored off a throwing error by the catcher from third base; she reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning. Junior Lindsay Hall (Fairfax, VA) knocked home Merkel with a single to left center field.
Rookie Jessica Rhoades (Dillsburg, PA) fired a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts to pick up her 21st victory of the season. The Falcons improve to 36-4 while Staten Island falls to 23-13.
In game two, the Greyhounds of Moravian College jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to senior Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA) as she cracked her third home run of the year over the left field fence.
The Warriors pushed one run across in the 5th inning when senior Courtney Caswell (Wakefield, NJ) singled to center field and was sacrificed over to second base, before rookie Priscilla Alicea (Stratford, NJ) recorded a infield single to put runners at the corners. Caswell came home to score as Alicea was held up in a run down between first and second to close the gap, 1-2.
Senior Sheri Bieniek (Lumberton, NJ) doubled home sophomore Stephanie Falzarano (South Plainfield, NJ) and DeBonis to take a 4-1 lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Bieniek posted her 101st RBI of her career, only the fourth player in Moravian history to earn that feat.
Rookie Jenna Carmon (14-1) (Flemington, NJ) picked up the complete game as she struck out three and walked none. DeBonis was 2-2 with two runs scored and one RBI while Bieniek and Carmon went 1-3. The Greyhounds improve to 35-9 while the Warriors fall to 25-12.
In game three, Farmingdale State jumped out to a 1-0 lead when rookie Kaitlin Keenan (West Islip, NY) ripped a double to deep center field and later scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first inning. Rowan would tie the game in the second inning when junior Stephanie Taraschi (Mt. Ephraim, NJ) walked and would scored on a wild pitch before they took the lead in the bottom of the third. Taraschi ripped a two-out double to center field platting rookie Ashley Minch (Pennsville, NJ) with the go-ahead run for the Profs, 2-1. Minch was hit by a pitch to reach base earlier in the inning. The Profs tacked on three runs on three hits and three Farmingdale errors to take a 5-1 lead going into the top of the 6th inning.
Sophomore pitcher Amanda Singer (Monmouth Jct., NJ) picked up her 14th win of the season in relief, working the final six innings of play. She struck out nine and walked none. The Profs improve to 33-10 overall while the Rams fall to 32-5.
In the final game of the day, Pioneers of William Paterson University took a 1-0 lead when senior Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, NJ) was hit by a pitch to lead off the first inning and came around to score as junior Christina Zippler (Blackwood, NJ) ripped a double to center field to pick up the RBI.
Muhlenberg College took the 2-1 lead in the top of the second when rookie Brittney Blohm (Hopatcong, NJ) ripped a two-run home run over the left field fence plating senior Samantha Crist (Colleyville, TX) who reached on a infield single.
The Pioneers would load the bases with one out in the second inning when Zippler hit into a fielder’s choice back to the pitcher. The play came home as sophomore Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, NJ) scored on an error on the catcher before rookie pinch runner Rebecca McClure (New Milford, NJ) scored on the same play. Sophomore Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, NJ) pick up an RBI ground out plating Reilly before sophomore Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, NJ) single to second base as Zippler crossed the plate for a 5-2 lead. The game was called after five innings of play due to darkness and will resume tomorrow morning in the top of the 6th inning at 10:00 AM.