BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The No. 19 Moravian College softball team used a pair of strong pitching performances and two home runs to earn a non-conference doubleheader sweep of Neumann University, 2-1 and 3-0, in the Greyhounds' 2016 home opener at Blue & Grey Field Tuesday.
"I was pleased with the performances from Amanda (Carisone) and Josie (Novak) after getting back in the circle today for the first time since we got back from Florida," commented Head Coach John Byrne. "I'd like to see our bats a little bit hotter but we scored enough to win, especially with a couple of long balls from Abby (Jeffries) and Vic (Conner). I was also happy with our defense, especially the double play we turned in the sixth inning of the second game."
Sophomore Amanda Carisone tossed a two-hitter in the opener with one walk and an unearned run over seven innings, and she struck out a career high 11 batters to improve to 5-1 on the season.
The Hounds, now 10-2 on the year, had just five hits in the first game with senior outfielder Mary Schlosbon going 2-for-2.
The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning before Moravian took the lead. Freshman outfielder Kat Spilman drew a walk to start the bottom of the sixth, and she would come home when junior first baseman Abby Jeffries connected on a two-run homer off of the scoreboard in right field, her second home run of the season. Carisone retired the side in the top of the seventh to seal the win.
Sophomore Josie Novak pitched a two-hit shutout in the second game for the Greyhounds with one walk and a career-best 13 strikeouts to become the ninth pitcher in school history to get to 200 career strikeouts. Novak is now eighth all-time at Moravian with 210 strikeouts, and she is 5-1 in the circle this spring.
The Blue and Grey had nine hits in the second game with junior designated player Victoria Conner going 2-for-2 and driving in all three runs. Junior outfielder Julie Siragusa was 2-for-3 in the game.
Conner got Moravian on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning when she connected on a two-out, two-run homer to left field, her third home run of the season. Sophomore catcher Janae Matos scored on the drive after hitting a two-out double.
The Greyhounds added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Jeffires led off with a double and Conner drove in freshman pinch runner Ashley Gindle with an RBI single down the left field line.
Moravian continues its six-game home stand with its 2016 Landmark Conference opening doubleheader on Saturday, March 19 when the Greyhounds welcome The Catholic University of America to Blue & Grey Field for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.
