CLERMONT, Fla. --- The Moravian College softball team opened its 2020 season with a pair of victories at the PFX Spring Games played at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida with an 8-3, nine-inning win over John Carroll (Ohio) University and a 4-1 victory over Illinois College.
In the opener versus John Carroll, the Greyhounds collected 10 hits with freshman shortstop Alexis Agrapides going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Junior catcher Brooke Wehr and sophomore right fielder Victoria Smith were both 2-for-4 with Wehr driving in two runs and Smith adding one RBI while junior third baseman Maddisen Bieber was also 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
Sophomore pitcher Alexandria Scheeler tossed all nine innings, allowing three runs, just one earned, on five hits and two walks to go with a pair of strikeouts for her first win of the year in the circle.
John Carroll took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning while the Hounds knotted the score at 1-1 in the top of the third when senior first baseman Lauren Goetz led off with a single to right field an scored on a two-out RBI single by Agrapides.
Neither team scored again through the regulation seven innings. The Blue and Grey began the top of the eighth with Agrapides on second base in the international tiebreaker. After a sacrifice bunt by senior center fielder Emily Stanilious, Wehr connected on a sacrifice fly to score Agrapides. John Carroll answered in the bottom of the eighth inning to force a second extra inning.
Freshman Gianna Lancellotti started the ninth on second base as a pinch runner, and she would score when Goetz reached on an error. Smith grounded out to push junior second baseman Shannon Brogan across the plate before an RBI single by Agrapides scored Goetz. Wehr ripped an RBI single to score senior left fielder Samantha O'Keefe while Bieber hit an RBI sacrifice fly to plate Agrapides. Stanilious scored the final run of the inning when Scheeler reached on another error as Moravian moved ahead 8-2. John Carroll would get one run in the bottom of the ninth before Scheeler shut the door.
The Blue and Grey had six hits against Illinois College with Stanilious going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Smith scored twice and drove in two runs.
Senior Paige Lesher earned her first win of the season in the circle with one run, seven hits and three walks to go with seven strikeouts.
Illinois College opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning.
Moravian knotted the score with a run in the bottom of the third when Smith reached on an error and scored on an RBI single by Stanilious. The Greyhounds would take the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Smith drew a leadoff walk and raced home on a passed ball.
The Blue and Grey tacked on two runs in the bottom of the sixth for the final score. Scheeler drew a leadoff walk before Lancellotti came into pinch run. Goetz reached on an error. After the second out of the inning, Smith ripped a two-out RBI single that brought Lancellotti and Goetz across the plate.
The Greyhounds are scheduled to return to action on Monday, March 2 with games versus Neumann University at 10:15 a.m. and Alvernia University at 12:15 p.m. at the Spring Games.
