CLERMONT, Fla. --- The No. 17 ranked Moravian College softball team opened its 2017 season with a pair of victories in the Spring Games at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida Sunday as the Greyhounds used a walk-off hit to defeat SUNY Oneonta, 4-3, in the first game before defeating Misericordia University, 10-0, to round out the first day of action.
In the opener against SUNY Oneonta, junior pitcher Amanda Carisone picked up the win in the circle as she allowed three runs, just one earned, on five hits and a walk to go with nine strikeouts.
Senior left fielder Julie Siragusa led the Greyhounds at the plate with a 2-for-4 game including a double and three RBIs. Senior first baseman Abby Jeffries was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
SUNY Oneonta opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second inning. The Greyhounds answered with three runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 3-1 lead. Senior catcher Niki Maffettone led off with a single, and sophomore third baseman Madison Shaneberger and sophomore second baseman Julia DeMarco drew walks to load the bases. Siragusa came up and drilled a two-out, three-RBI double to left field to clear the bases.
SUNY Oneonta eventually tied the game at 3-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning.
The Blue and Grey earned their first win of the season in a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh as junior pinch runner Jackie Marshall raced home on an RBI infield single by Jeffries to end the contest.
Against Misericordia, junior pitcher Josie Novak tossed a one-hitter to go with two walks and nine strikeouts in the 10-0 win. The shutout was the 13th of Novak's career to move her into a tie for 10th in the Moravian record book.
The Greyhounds has 12 hits against the Cougars with sophomore center fielder Kat Spilman going 3-for-4 with two runs. Siragusa was 2-for-3 with two runs and a double while freshman right fielder Lauren Goetz was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a double and sophomore shortstop Kaela Kane was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a double.
Moravian jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-RBI double by Goetz, and the Greyhounds extended the advantage to 4-0 with two runs in the top half of the third on an RBI single from Goetz and an error.
Jeffries drove in a run with an RBI single in the fourth, and the Greyhounds added runs on a wild pitch and a passed ball in the top of the sixth for a 7-0 edge. Moravian finished the scoring with three runs in the top of the seventh on a two-RBI double by Kane and an RBI single from sophomore outfielder Ashley Gindle.
Moravian is scheduled to return to action with two more games in the Spring Games on Monday, March 6 as the Greyhounds take on Haverford College at 8:00 a.m. and Alfred (N.Y.) University at 10:30 a.m.
