Softball Posts Fourth Sweep of 2017 Friday in Florida
Links: Box Scores (Game 1)
CLERMONT, Fla. – The Merrimack College softball team once again battle from behind to post a 3-2 victory over Bridgeport in its first game of the day, then registered nine runs for the second time in four games in a 9-1 blowout victory over Clarion in game two in the fourth sweep of the season for the Warriors Friday in Florida
The Basics
Score (G1): Merrimack 3, Bridgeport 2
Score (G2): Merrimack 9, Clarion 1
Records: Merrimack (11-5) | Bridgeport (9-5) | Clarion (1-16)
Location: National Training Center | Clermont, Florida
How It Happened (Game 1)
Both teams would games would take some time to wake up at the plate in Friday's early morning start at 8:00 a.m., as the Warriors and Purple Knights would combine for just one hit through the first three innings. Senior captain Haley Currie (Burlington, Mass.) would get the start on the mound for Merrimack, striking out three through those first three frames.
Bridgeport would get on the board first in the top of the fourth inning, getting a pair of runners on at second and third to start the inning after a pair of mishaps in the field for the Warriors. A sacrifice fly for the Purple Knights would score a run in, but Currie would get out of the jam with no more harm.
Merrimack would answer in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from junior Alyssa Williamson (Scarborough, Maine) to even the score at 1-1, but after a quick fifth inning the Warriors would see Bridgeport hop back out in front by a run on an RBI double, putting Merrimack down 2-1 after five and a half innings.
A one-out double from Samantha Waskowitz (Killingworth, Conn.) in the bottom of the inning followed by a walk would put two runners on for Merrimack trailing by one. Continuing her hot start to the season, sophomore Caitlin McBride (Danvers, Mass.) would rip a double to left field, scoring both runners to put the Warriors up 3-2 heading to the final inning. Currie would go on to close out the game with a 1-2-3 seventh inning to seal a win in game one.
How It Happened (Game 2)
Having already faced and defeated the Golden Eagles on their Myrtle Beach trip by a score of 2-0, the Warriors would cruise to a 9-1 victory in their second meeting and second game of the day, highlighted by a five-run seventh inning from Merrimack.
After three scoreless innings, the Warriors would score a run in each of the last four innings leading up to their five-run seventh. Williamson would knock in the lone run of the fourth on a groundout, followed by back-to-back RBI doubles from Waskowitz and McBride in the fifth to put the score at 3-0. Freshman Tiffany Mangiameli (Middlefield, Conn.) would knock in a run with an RBI single in the in the sixth, but Clarion would answer with its lone run of the game in the bottom of the inning to put the score at 4-1 after six.
The Warriors would explode for five runs in the top of the seventh, registering six singles including five in a row to go up eight runs and seal a favorable victory in their second game of the day.
While Merrimack piled on runs, junior Megan Cook (Bellingham, Mass.) was pitching a gem for the Warriors on the mound. Cook pitched a complete game, allowing just four hits and one run while registering a career-high seven strikeouts.
Up Next
The Warriors conclude action in the Spring Games in Florida tomorrow when they take on Bloomsburg at 11:00 a.m., followed by their final game of the week vs. Bemidji State at 2:00 p.m.
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