Monday, March 11, 2013 (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) - The Mount Ida College softball team captured their first victory of the season winning in a 16-7 romping over Cazenovia College in the opening day of the 2013 Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at the Pepper Geddings Sports Complex Monday afternoon. In their first game of action, the Mustangs would surrender a 7-0 shutout to Ursuline College finishing at 1-1 with six more contests through the next three days.
MIC will face Pitt.-Greenburg in day two of action with first pitch coming at 9:30 a.m. and will eventually finish up play tomorrow against a familiar local foe in Bay Path College starting at 1:30 p.m.
To open tournament play, Mount Ida struggled to get the bats going with senior outfielder Meghan Moriarty (Holbrook, MA/Holbrook) registering the only hit of the contest for the Mustangs. Senior hurler Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) took the loss giving up four earned runs and nine hits to aid in the loss.
The Arrows saw a near flawless performance from junior pitcher Sarah Maxwell (Fayette, Maine) allowing only one hit with seven strikeouts. Maxwell also contributed at the dish with a two-run double in the fifth inning to put the game out of question. Senior infielder Ciara Seymour (New Port Richey, Florida) blasted home run adding two hits with one run batted in.
Ursuline struck first in the bottom of the second frame on a Seymour solo round tripper to lead 1-0. Following a scoreless third, the Arrows tacked on three more runs in the final half of the fourth inning capping a three run, three hit frame to take the 4-0 advantage. Seymour and junior Michele Hare (Pickerington, Ohio) speared the charge offensively with RBI singles.
Mount Ida went scoreless again in the top half of the fifth inning and would surrender three more runs in the bottom end of the same frame to go ahead 7-0 proving to be the eventual game winner. Maxwell and junior first baseman Natalie Huggins (North Robinson, Ohio) combined for three RBI's roping a double each.
The sour taste in game one immediately turned sweet in round two of the tournament capturing a 16-7 victory over Cazenovia College showcasing a high-powered offense and a consistent performance from number two hurler Allie Norris (Plymouth, MA/Plymouth North) collecting her first collegiate win. Meeker took over the mound with Mount Ida holding an 8-7 advantage chalking up the save.
Junior shortstop/outfielder Kirsten Guerrero (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield Ludlowe) cranked her first home run of the season with a towering shot over the right centerfield wall also adding a double to lead off the top of the sixth frame. Meeker and freshman catcher Cassie Durand (Dracut, MA/Dracut) each added three hits and three RBI's each with Durand smacking two doubles respectively. Sophomore first baseman Nikole Soto (Marlboro, MA/Assabet Valley Regional) added two hits as well driving in two base runners.
For the Wildcats, sophomore pitcher Alexandra Smith (South Glen Falls, NY/South Glen Falls) started on the rubber seeing four innings surrendering eight runs, five of which were earned, and eight walks to take the loss. In total, only five of the runs out of 16 from Mount Ida were earned aided by a slew of errors (4) that led to scores. Smith would also help at the plate with a team-high three runs batted in on two hits including an RBI double through four at-bats. Sophomore Jenna Kraeger (Constableville, NY/South Lewis Central) added a hit (3) in each one of her plate appearances with three other Cazenovia players recording two hits each.
After two scoreless innings to start the contest, the Mustangs got on the board first in the top half of the third frame on Guerrero's two run shot propelling Mount Ida to a 2-0 advantage.
Cazenovia didn't waste any time providing an answer taking their first lead (5-2) of the game adding five runs on six hits. The Wildcat runs came from a plethora of singles mixed in with two RBI doubles from Smith and senior catcher Hilary Hext (Albany, NY/Schoharie).
The Mount Ida bats awoke in the top of the fourth inning hanging six runs on the scoreboard taking over an 8-6 lead at the midway point. A lead-off walk and back-to-back singles by Meeker and senior centerfielder Chaise Courbron (Monroe, CT/Masuk) got the inning rolling for the Mustangs. CC hurler Smith would uncork a handful of past balls sending one runner scoring eventually loading the bases after a base-on-balls by senior second baseman Tiffany Hamann (Newton, MA/Newton North). Durand unloaded the bags on the ensuing at bat on a towering three-run double jumping ahead 6-0. The Mustangs would add two more runs before the Wildcats could stop the bleeding on a wild pitch and an error by the shortstop to lead 8-5.
Cazenovia pulled within one run (8-7) in the bottom half of the frame off single from Smith driving in two runs.
Zuman eventually went to her ace handing Meeker the ball with a one run lead ultimately blanking the Wildcats for the rest of the contest while Mount Ida piled on eight more runs in the final two innings.
A three run sixth inning inflated the Mustang advantage to 11-7 led by RBI singles from Soto, Meeker and sophomore third baseman Gina Onorevole (Lafayette, NJ/High Point Regional).
For insurance purposes, Mount Ida plated five more scores in the top of the last inning on hits from Soto and Courbron paired with a couple of fielding mistakes by Cazenovia eventually closing out a commanding 16-7 victory.
