SALISBURY, Md. – The eighth-ranked Salisbury University softball team took care of the DeSales Bulldogs in a doubleheader sweep on Sunday to end the weekend with a perfect 4-0 record.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
- DeSales opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI double by Olivia Ondrejca with two outs.
- Salisbury responded quickly in the bottom half of the first. Abby Mace led off the game for the maroon and gold by ripping a triple to the left-center gap. Two batters later, Natalie Paoli brought her home with a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at one.
- Nicole Ortega started cruising after a rocky first inning. She retired 12 straight batters, including two separate stretches with three-straight strikeouts.
- The offense exploded for four runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Meghan Reed smacked an RBI single to start the scoring in the fourth inning. Madi Lemon followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to plated Emily Challender. Mace then launched a triple to right field that scored Sydney Duplissey before Jillian Dawson legged out a double to right field that brought Mace around to score.
- Salisbury put the run rule in effect in the fifth inning. Maddison Lednum singled to center field to score Taylor Scott. Back-to-back hit by pitches plated Nicolette DePalma. Carly Galbraith ended the game with a two-run single to left field that scored Lednum and Francesca Cuttitta to give the Sea Gulls the 9-1 win.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES – GAME 1
- Abby Mace tied a single-game program record with two triples in one game. Mace also scored twice and drove a run in.
- Maddison Lednum was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored.
- Jillian Dawson tallied a double, triple and a run scored.
- Carly Galbraith drove in two with her first collegiate hit in the fifth inning.
- Nicole Ortega (W, 1-0) picked up the win in a complete-game two-hitter. Ortega did not allow a walk, struck out a career-high eight batters and gave up one unearned run.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
- The bats stayed hot in the weekend finale as Salisbury pushed across all nine of its runs in the first two innings.
- Carrie Jacoby got the scoring going in the first with a two-RBI single with the bases loaded that scored Mace and Dawson. Lauren Meyers followed with a two-run double of her own that cleared the bases and gave Salisbury the early 4-0 lead.
- Salisbury then put up five runs in the second inning, all with two outs. Back-to-back two-RBI hits by Paoli and Meyers then a Cuttitta RBI single would stretch Salisbury's lead to 9-0.
- DeSales looked to rally in the top of the fifth with Lacey Bateman coming in to pitch in relief on Lindsey Windsor. The Bulldogs got a runner to scoring position with one out but Bateman shut the door on the game with back-to-back strikeouts to close out the sweep.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES – GAME 2
- Lauren Meyers drove in four runs with two doubles to pace the offense.
- Carrie Jacoby knocked in two runs with a pair of hits.
- Natalie Paoli, Abby Mace and Jillian Dawson each scored twice in the victory.
- Lindsey Windsor (W, 2-0) pitched four innings with four strikeouts and only allowed a hit.
UP NEXT
- Salisbury will host the second-ranked Virginia Wesleyan Marlins on Wednesday, Feb. 23
- The top-10 twinbill is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 186 conference championships and 41 Academic All-Americans.
To learn more about the tradition of excellence with Sea Gull Athletics, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.