CLERMONT, Fla. – The Moravian College softball team had to withstand a middle-inning rally from Grove City College and eventually poured on the offense to notch a 16-4 victory on Wednesday and improve to 3-0 in the Spring Games at the National Training Center.
Ten different Greyhounds recorded an RBI in the win to support sophomore starting pitcher Kiersten Cain and senior reliever Elizabeth Tillou, who picked up the win in the circle after tossing 3.2 innings of scoreless softball.
Cain went 3.1 innings as Grove City rallied for three runs in the bottom of the third and one more in its half of the fourth. Tillou came on to scatter four hits and one walk with two strikeouts for the senior's first win of the season.
"My job was to shut them down," Tillou said. "They started stringing some hits together and sometimes all you need is to change the look of the ball with a new pitcher. Kiersten pitched great and we teamed up to get it done. I think I helped our defense and they helped me."
The Greyhounds backed up their pitchers with a four-run top of the first, which began with leadoff hitter and junior center fielder Dior George ripping a triple to the right-center field fence. Senior right fielder Miranda Sergas singled George home, and scored on a Grove City error to make it 2-0. Junior first baseman Jenn Dalickas laced an RBI single and freshman Lizzie Deutsch added a sacrifice fly for the 4-0 lead.
After a 1-2-3 top of the second, the Greyhounds would cross the plate at least once in each of the remaining five innings. Deutsch picked up her second RBI of the game in the top of the third to make it 5-0. George, who finished 3-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored and an RBI, led off the fourth with one of her two-baggers and came around to score on a sac fly from junior designated player Lizzie Mack.
Meanwhile, Tillou came on in relief and quieted the Grove City comeback after Moravian posted an error during the three-run Grove City third inning.
"We put the bat on the ball and got ahead early in the game," Tillou said. "Our defense was very strong and showed some poise coming back from a couple of errors. We didn't let it explode. We want to keep up the winning. We would actually like to step our play up a notch because we're going to be playing a tough schedule. We have to keep playing our game and stay focused."
Senior third baseman Rachel DeLucia executed Moravian's third sacrifice fly of the game in the top of the fifth to take a 7-4 lead.
Mack laced an RBI single up the middle, and Dalickas made it 9-4 with her second RBI of the game in the top of the sixth.
Head coach John Byrne was happy to get his enthused underclassmen some valuable experience in the late innings on Wednesday. George, sophomore outfielder Mary Schlosbon, freshman Alexis Wiggley and freshman Julie Siragusa all recorded RBIs in the Hounds' seven-run top of the seventh.
The Greyhounds also received some leadership and run production from senior Leann Ventriglia, who drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI.
"Any time you can get your newer players some live-game experience is always beneficial to the whole team," Byrne said. "I like the way they swung the bats and they showed maturity in the field. Our veterans also kept up the intensity to help us win today."
Tillou became Moravian's third different winning pitcher in as many games.
