CLERMONT, Fla. --- The Moravian College softball team had a pair of leads heading into the seventh inning during both games on the opening day of the 2015 season; however, the Greyhounds ended up dropping both contests, falling to Fontbonne (Mo.) University, 9-8 in 10 innings, and Millikin (Ill.) University, 7-3, Sunday at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida.
In the opener against Fontbonne, the Hounds had 10 hits with senior third baseman Jenn Dalickas and sophomore shortstop Madison Newhouser each going 3-for-5. Newhouser added three RBIs and a double in her first game with Moravian while Dalickas added two RBIs. Junior right fielder Mary Schlosbon added two hits in the game.
The Griffins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with three unearned runs.
Moravian would tie the game at 3-3 with a trio of runs in the top of the third inning. Senior center fielder Dior George reached on an error with one out and Schlosbon followed with a single. Newhouser would connect on a two-RBI single, and she crossed the plate with the tying run on an RBI single to right field by Dalickas.
The Greyhounds pulled ahead 7-3 with four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Schlosbon and Newhouser started the inning with singles before an RBI single to right field by Dalickas. Newhouser would score on an RBI single to left field by junior second baseman Lindsay Sullivan with the bases loaded. Sophomore pinch hitter Abby Jeffries drove in Sullivan and senior left fielder Lizzie Mack, who had walked earlier in the inning, with a two-RBI single. The hit for Jeffries came in her first career at-bat for the Hounds after missing all of 2014 with an injury.
Moravian was just inning away from starting the season with a win when an error loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning and a Fontbonne grand slam tied the contest and forced extra innings.
The teams immediately went to the international tiebreaker with a runner on second base but neither scored in the eighth inning.
The Greyhounds would push George across the plate in the top of the ninth inning on an RBI double by Newhouser but the Griffins answered in the bottom half of the ninth to tie the score again at 8-8.
Moravian was unable to score in the top of the 10th inning. Fontbonne would get a walk and a hit in the bottom half of the frame to load the bases. On a 2-2 pitch from Greyhound freshman hurler Josie Novak, the batter and all three base runners took off like the pitch was ball four and the runner from third was credited with a steal of home to end the game.
Novak allowed nine unearned runs in her collegiate debut on nine hits and three walks to go along with nine strikeouts in the contest.
In the nightcap of the day for the Greyhounds versus Millikin, George was 3-for-4 with a home run and an RBI for Moravian, which had eight hits in the game.
The Hounds jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Sullivan singled to center field with one out and scored on an RBI triple to center field by Mack.
Moravian doubled the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning when George connected on her first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field with one out. The round tripper was the seventh of George's career.
Millikin cut the Greyhounds' lead in half with a run in the top half of the fifth inning.
The Blue and Grey answered in the bottom of the sixth frame. Dalickas doubled to right centerfield with one out, and she scored on an RBI single to right center by Jeffries, who made her first career start in the field.
Millikin scored six times, all unearned runs, in the top of the seventh inning to earn the victory.
Moravian freshman pitcher Amanda Carisone took the loss in her first collegiate start, allowing seven unearned runs on eight hits and two walks, and Carisone had eight strikeouts in the contest.
The Greyhounds will return to action on Monday, March 9 in a pair of non-conference games at the National Training Center. Moravian is scheduled to play Salve Regina (R.I.) University at 9:00 a.m. and Wheaton (Ill.) College at 11:00 a.m.
