Monday, April 22, 2013 (Newton, Massachusetts)- The Mount Ida College softball team finished the 2013 season with a doubleheader Senior Day setback to the visiting Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University by final scores of 9-0 and 4-2. Mount Ida ends the season with a record of (13-24, 5-19 GNAC) while the Wildcats improve to 24-16, 16-8). Coach Katie Zuman honored her four seniors, Devan Meeker, Tiffany Hamann, Chaise Courbron, and Meghan Moriarty before the game for their contributions to the program over the course of the last few years.
Game 1
Johnson and Wales erupted for six runs in the top of the first inning with junior Taylor Cwalinski (Jackson, NJ) going 3 for 4 at the plate while scoring two runs. Juniors Tayla Gardner (Orangeburg, NY) and Rachael Marino (Northbridge, MA) both had two hits in the game while Gardner scored two runs and had 3 RBI's. Marino also scored one run. Cynthia Proby (Bremerton, WA), Kristen Solari (Old Bridge, NJ), Jessica George (Andover, NH), Emma Rivera (Morganville, NJ) and Sarah Comstock (Brookfield, MA) all had one hit on the day while all scoring one run apiece. Solari, George and Comstock both had one RBI in the opening game.
Solari started the top of the first inning with a walk from Cwalinski. Solari then doubled to deep center scoring Cwalinksi, giving the Wildcats the early 1-0 lead. Gardner singled and advanced to second on an errant throw while Solari moved to third and scored on the error by the third baseman. George singled home Gardner giving Johnson and Wales the 3-0 advantage. The Wildcats weren't done as Rivera walked, advancing Marino to second and George to third. The next pitch was wild as it got past the Mount Ida catcher and Rivera moved to second, Marino to third, and George scored. Comstock would then single scoring Rivera and Marino. Cwalinski kept it going with a single as Comstock advanced to second. Proby would ground out to the shortstop and was forced out at third base to end the inning.
Mount Ida would go scoreless in the first inning, while neither team would record a run until the top of the fourth inning when Cwalinski doubled, Proby singled, and Gardner homered to deep left center field for a 3-run homerun giving the visitors a commanding 9-0 lead.
The Wildcats were able to hold the Mustangs to one hit by Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) in the opening game. Cwalinski pitched a gem for the Wildcats going the distance while allowing just one hit, one walk, and 12 strikeouts earning the win in a shortened game, 9-0. Allie Norris (Plymouth, MA/Plymouth South) took the loss going five innings while surrendering 11 hits, nine runs, eight earned, two walks and one strikeout.
Game 2
After the first inning went scoreless for both teams, Gardner led off the top of the second inning with her second homerun of the day giving the Wildcats an early 1-0 advantage. The Mustangs would respond in the bottom half of the inning when Guerrero led off the inning with a single. Onorevole reached on an error by the third baseman while Guerrero advanced to third on the errant throw. Onorevole would then steal second before Moriarty would come to the plate and single to right field scoring both Onorevole and Guerrero while giving the Mustangs their first lead of the day at 2-1.
Mount Ida would hold onto the 2-1 advantage until the top of the sixth inning when Gardner doubled, Ziegler singled scoring Gardner and knotting the score at 2-2. Ziegler would advance to third on an error before George came to the plate and crushed a two-run homerun over the centerfield fence, giving the Wildcats the 4-2 lead.
Johnson and Wales were able to hold the Mustangs scoreless in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings while seeing another solid pitching performance from starter Gardner, in the complete game win. Gardner allowed five hits, two runs, one earned, walking one and striking out eight. Meeker would take the loss also going the distance while surrendering nine hits, four runs, four earned, while fanning two.