HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. --- The Moravian College softball team had its bats swinging in midseason form despite not playing in nine days as the Greyhounds pounded out 36 hits including four home runs and scored 28 runs to sweep a non-conference doubleheader at Centenary (N.J.) College Tuesday by scores of 17-2 and 11-0 in a pair of five-inning games.
The Hounds had not been on the field since March 23 due to the weather, and the squad improves to 9-5 on the year with the victories.
In the opener, 21 of the 24 players on the roster saw action on the field with 15 different players getting a hit. Junior outfielder Dior George, freshman outfielder Julie Siragusa, senior catcher Cassie Ernst and junior first baseman Jenn Dalickas were each 2-for-2 at the plate while senior designated player Taylor Mihalik was 2-for-3 to go with a team-high four RBIs in the contest.
The Greyhounds jumped right onto the scoreboard as George led off the game with a solo home run to left field, her first homer of the year. That started a five-run first inning for Moravian. Ernst had an RBI double and also scored on a wild pitch while Mihalik ripped a two-RBI single.
Moravian pushed its lead to 7-0 with two runs in the top of the second inning on RBI singles by Dalickas and senior outfielder Miranda Sergas.
The Hounds then extended the lead to 11-0 with four more runs in the top half of the fourth. Mihalik drove in a pair of runs with a double, and she scored when senior third baseman Leann Ventriglia connected on her first career homer, a shot to left field. Centenary plated two runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut Moravian's lead to 11-2.
The Greyhounds tacked on six more runs in the top of the fifth to finish the scoring. Senior outfielder Melissa Cottone knocked in the first two runs of the inning with her first career homer with a long ball to right field. Then it was time for the Moravian freshmen to get into the RBI column with pinch hitter Lily Shontz, third baseman Victoria Conner, second baseman Chrissy Marinaro and Siragusa all collecting RBI hits.
Junior Lizzie Mack made her first appearance of the season in the circle, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk to go along with one strikeout in four innings for the victory. Sophomore Carsin Conner tossed the final inning, giving up one hit.
The Greyhounds didn't take long to get a lead in the second game, scoring 10 runs in the top of the first inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Dalickas deposited a grand slam over the right field fence for her third homer of the season. Senior pitcher Elizabeth Tillou added an RBI double, and senior second baseman Eavan Matz followed with two-RBI double. George, who was 3-for-3 in the second game, had an RBI single while an RBI double by Ernst and an RBI single by Mihalik finished off the scoring.
Moravian added its final run in the top of the fifth when Marinaro connected on her second RBI single of the afternoon. The Hounds had a 16-1 advantage in hits at the plate. In addition to George's performance, Sergas was 2-for-2 and Mihalik 2-for-3.
Tillou improved to 3-2 in the circle, allowing one hit and one walk to go with three strikeouts in four innings of action. Sophomore Lindsay Sullivan tossed the final three outs with a pair of strikeouts.
The Greyhounds are slated to return to action on Thursday, April 3 when Drew University comes to Blue & Grey Field for a Landmark Conference doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.
