ASTON, Pa. --- Freshmen pitchers Josie Novak and Amanda Carisone combined to scatter six hits and strike out 18 batters as the Moravian College softball team shut out Neumann University, 6-0 and 8-0 in five innings, Sunday in a non-conference battle of regionally-ranked squads.
Novak tossed her second two-hit shutout in as many days in the opener, and she recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts to increase her season total to 125 strikeouts. Novak is now 13-3 in the circle this spring with five shutouts.
Moravian, 28-4 overall, had 11 hits in the first contest with senior first baseman Jenn Dalickas going 3-for-3 and senior center fielder Dior George posting a 2-for-4 performance.
The Greyhounds broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning. Freshman catcher Janae Matos led off with a double before Dalicakas connected on her team-leading seventh homer of the season to right field, extending her career record to 33. After an out, George hit a 3-1 pitch over the fence down the left field line for her sixth home run of the season and 12th of her career.
Moravian tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth. Junior designated player Lindsay Sullivan singled with one out, and sophomore third baseman Victoria Conner reached on an error. After the second out of the inning, Dalickas drew a walk to load the bases before junior right fielder Mary Schlosbon hit a bases clearing, three-RBI triple to left center to finish the scoring in the contest.
Carisone scattered four hits and two walks in the second game as she struck out six batters and improved to 15-1 in the circle with her 15th consecutive win this spring and her sixth shutout of the season.
Moravian had six hits in the second game with sophomore shortstop Madison Newhouser going 2-for-2. Dalickas and George each had hits as the duo is tied for second in school history with 197 hits apiece. George drove in three runs while Dalickas added two walks in the game to increase her season school record to 36 walks in 2015, and she is now one base on balls shy of the school career record of 74.
The Blue & Grey jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Dalickas led off the game with her team-leading 12th double of the season and the 51st of her career. After a sacrifice bunt by Schlosbon, George connected on an RBI sacrifice fly to right field scoring Dalickas.
Moravian added two runs in the top of the second for a 3-0 lead. Newhouser led off the inning with a single before Sullivan was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt by Matos, freshman third baseman Jessica D'Agostino hit an RBI ground out as Newhouser scored. Dalickas would draw a walk to bring up Schlosbon, who hit an RBI infield single as Sullivan raced home.
The Greyhounds scored once in the top of the third inning when sophomore left fielder Julie Siragusa reached on an error to lead off the frame, and she scored on an RBI single by Newhouser.
Moravian finished off the scoring with four runs in the top of the fourth inning to get the NCAA eight-run rule. Matos, Dalickas and Schlosbon each walked to load the bases with one out before Matos scored on a wild pitch. George followed with a two-RBI single to left center field, and George scored the final run on an RBI double to left field by senior second baseman Lizzie Mack.
The Hounds are slated to close out their 2015 regular season on Tuesday, April 28 in a non-conference doubleheader at Ursinus College beginning at 3:00 p.m.
