Wednesday, March 13, 2013 (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) - In day three of action in the 2013 Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic, the Mount Ida College softball team split the day (1-1) capturing a 2-1 victory in the morning over familiar regional foe Bay Path College followed up with an afternoon loss to Wesley College blanked 10-0 in five innings of play at Pepper Gedding Sports Complex in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Wednesday. The Mustangs pull to an overall record of 2-3 and still have yet to compete in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.
In the opener against the Wildcats in a bizarre game, both squads were able to plate a run in the first inning. Bay Path struck leading off the frame with a towering two bagger from the bat of junior Keelin Dougherty (Northfield, NH/Bishop Brady). After advancing to third base on a ground out, Dougherty would score on an RBI single to left field by sophomore third baseman Nicole Ogden (Springfield, MA/Longmeadow) to overtake the 1-0 advantage.
Mount Ida answered in the bottom half of the first inning watching senior second baseman Tiffany Hamann (Newton, MA/Newton North) reaching on a base-on-balls stealing her way home on three straight bag swipes knotting the action at 1-1.
The action went ice cold for the next four and a half frames until the bottom of the sixth when the Mustangs would add the final run of the contest with Hamann reaching home for the second time on the day. Hamann led off the inning with the Mustangs only hit of the game, a single up the middle. She would snatch two more steals making it to third base for an impressive five swipes for the game. Junior shortstop Kirsten Guerrero (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield Ludlowe) followed with a sacrifice fly ball to deep center field to score Hamann for the 2-1 lead.
Bay Path made it interesting in the final frame putting two on base, but another solid pitching performance from senior hurler Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) closed out their second win of the tournament.
Along with a game-high five steals for Hamann and the team's lone hit, Meeker went this distance on the mound for the Mustangs with six strikeouts and one earned run on four hits.
Freshman pitcher Kate Sirois (Enfield, CT/Cheney-Howell Tech) went wire-to-wire in the middle circle surrendering only one hit with two earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts.
In game two of the day, Mount Ida dropped a 10-0 loss to Wesley College for the Mustangs third loss to start the season.
The visitors scored four runs each in the first two innings including a second frame towering grand slam from Wolverine freshman outfielder Sarah Saunders (Wayne, NJ/Mahwah) unloading the bases to hold a commanding 8-0 advantage early in the game.
Following an uneventful third inning, Wesley added two more runs to the board putting the mercy rule in effect to lead 10-0 capping a two run, four hit frame.
Although Mount Ida pushed hard in the fifth to try to avoid the run rule, a 6-4-3 double play ensued to ultimately end the game to hand the Wolverines the win.
Mount Ida was only able to muster five hits led by freshman catcher Cassie Durand (Dracut, MA/Dracut) with the only extra base swing of the game for the Mustangs. Four other players added base hits added by Hamann, senior Meghan Moriarty (Holbrook, MA/Holbrook), sophomore first baseman Nikole Soto (Marlboro, MA/Assabet Valley Regional) and freshman Yaritza Otero (Boston, MA/South Boston). Meeker got her fourth start of the season surrendering 10 runs all of which were earned on 15 hits with a strikeout.
Saunders led the charge for the Wolverines with an impressive grand slam tallying a game-high five runs batted in on two hits including a double as well. Freshman outfielder Steph Caracozza (Wayne, NJ/River Dell Regional) notched three hits, all singles, while Brooke Minemier (Shadyside, MD/Southern) went 2-3 on the dish with two RBI's and a run scored. Saunders also did work on the mound going five frame scattering five hits with no runs scored and a strikeout.
Mount Ida plays in the final day of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic to round out action and will face Baptiste Bible of Pennsylvania tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. and will finish play immediately following against Blackburn College with first pitch at 11:30 a.m.
