Softball Splits on Final Day in Myrtle Beach

Links: East Stroudsburg Box | Concord Box

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  – The Merrimack College softball team wrapped up the final day of the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament with a split. The Navy and Gold defeated East Stroudsburg, 8-3, the first game. Against Concord, which reached the NCAA Regionals in 2015, Merrimack lost 8-2.

The Basics
Game 1: Merrimack 8, East Stroudsburg 3 | Final
Game 2: Concord 8, Merrimack 2 | Final
Records: Merrimack (5-1) | East Stroudsburg (1-4) | Concord (1-3)
Location: Grand Park Complex | Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Rapid Recap (East Stroudsburg)

• For the fourth time in five games, Merrimack struck first in the first inning. Caitlin McBride continued her hot start driving in a pair of runs to open the scoring. East Stroudsburg cut the lead in half in the top of the second, but Warriors' starter Courtney Zambello stranded two base-runners in scoring position, striking out the last two hitters of the inning.
• Merrimack added two more runs in the second, as Kelly Dovi began the inning reaching on an error. The next batter, Hannah Johnson walked, before Tiffany Mangiameli loaded the bases with a single. After a pitching change by East Stroudsburg, Nicole Nanof grounded into a double-play that allowed Johnson to score. Alyssa Williamson plated Mangiameli on a single for a 4-2 Merrimack lead.
• The Navy and Gold added a run in the third, before Dovi drove in two in the fourth. East Stroudsburg scored twice in the fifth, but that did not matter as McBride homered in the second-straight game to put Merrimack up 8-3 in the home half of the fifth.
• Merrimack ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the seventh as the bases were loaded. Bridget Soraghan came in relief and shutdown the threat for her second save of her rookie season.

Rapid Recap (Concord)

• After the first two batters were retired, Concord scored on a solo shot by Jenna Witt. Merrimack threatened in the home half, but could not bring in a run. After a scoreless second, it was the top of the third that the Mountain Lions scored four runs.
• A one-out double, a hit batter, a single, and another hit batter brought in the second run for Concord. Another single, along with a fielding mishap led to two more runs for Concord.
• Merrimack got two of those runs back in the bottom of the third, thanks to a RBI single by Nanof that scored Dovi. Williamson brought in the second run for the Warriors on a sacrifice fly to right, bringing Mangiameli across the plate. Merrimack's offense only mustered one hit for the remainder of the game.
• Concord tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth for the 8-2 final.
• Mangiameli and Nanof combined for four hits in the game.

Notes and Notables

• Game 1 WP: Zambello (2-0) | Game 1 LP: Taylor Keeney (0-1) | SV: Soraghan (2)
• Game 2 WP: Rachel Pritchard (1-1) | Game 2 LP: Melanie DeAlmeida (0-1)
• McBride had three hits in the first game, along with four RBI's
• In the first game, Mangiameli, Nanof, and Williamson each had two hits, while they all scored a run.  
• Zambello pitched 4.1 innings, striking out four, while scattering four hits on the way to her second win of the season.
• Brooke Bogacz and Soraghan combined for 2.2 innings of relief, with each reliever picking up a strike out.

 
Up Next:
The Warriors have three weeks off, before heading to Clermont, Florida for six games in three days, beginning on March 9.