Ronald Hanaki
Sports Editor
ESU’s softball team split its doubleheader with the Millersville Marauders for its first win over a PSAC rival last Sunday at Millersville.
ESU won the first game 5-4 by scoring two runs each in the third and fifth innings.
Trailing by one run, the Warriors took the lead in the third inning when second baseman Heather Visco’s triple to left center drove in two runs.
Shortstop Mary Wallick’s RBI triple enabled center fielder Katherine Liedberg to score. Wallick herself would then score on an error by Millersville’s second baseman.
In the top of the seventh, Wallick hit an RBI triple to make the score 5-2.
That insurance run would be important.
In the bottom of the seventh, Millersville would load the bases with one out, but the Marauders only managed to score two runs.
Millersville left the bases loaded as ESU junior pitcher Rachael Liguori struck out Millersville’s Megan McCurdy and retired Raeann Buskey on a ground out to second base for the complete game win.
This was Liguori’s ninth complete game of the season.
In the second game, ESU took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning after Wallick doubled and scored a run because of two miscues by Millersville.
Millersville’s bats exploded in the bottom of the first inning. Millersville’s Brittany Smith and Maria Spinosa both hit three-run home runs to give the Marauders a commanding 6-1 lead in the first inning that they never relinquished.
Millersville added four more runs in the third inning to knock out ESU starting pitcher Amanda Carlin and give the Marauders a 10-2 win in the second game.
Wallick went three-for-six with two RBI and scored three runs in the doubleheader.
Freshman third baseman Samantha Pickar went three-for-four and scored one run.
Visco hit two-for-four with two RBI to pace ESU in the first game.
The softball team will return to action tomorrow with an afternoon doubleheader against Bloomsburg at Zimbar Field.
Email Ronald at:
rhanaki@live.esu.edu