MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Stevenson softball team (3-1) forced extra innings against Fitchburg State (1-7) before falling 9-10 then defeated Suffolk University (0-2) by a score of 9-3 at the Fast Pitch Dreams Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Game 1 – Stevenson 9, Fitchburg State 10 (8 innings); WP: M. Moreau (1-1); LP: M. Heuer (1-1)
Stevenson jumped on the board first when
Elizabeth Russo ripped a triple to score
Maddie Buher from second in the top half of the second inning. However, the Falcons responded promptly, posting eight runs in the bottom half of the inning for a 1-8 lead.
Stevenson steadily chipped away at the deficit adding three runs in three fourth and two each on the sixth and seventh.
Marissa Heuer hit her second homerun on the season to leadoff the fourth inning Buher and
Kat Perea crossed the plate later in the inning to cut the lead in half at 4-8.
The Mustangs cut the deficit to two with a two-run sixth inning with runs scored on an error and an RBI single from
Maddie Bosley. In the top of the seventh,
Rebecca Henry slapped an RBI single to score
Megan Hamp from third.
Marissa Heuer continued her strong performance at the plate hitting a double to right to score Henry and tie the game at eight.
Meanwhile in the pitching circle, Heuer pitched five scoreless innings and nine strikeouts in relief to give Stevenson a chance in extra innings. The Mustangs took a 9-8 lead in the top half of the eighth with Perea scoring on an error. A leadoff double in the bottom half of the inning scored the runner from second for the Falcons before a sac bunt a moved the runner to third. With the infield in, Lauren Kirkconnell ripped a grounder to second and Kiara Bigeau just beat the tag at the plate to give Fitchburg the walk-off victory.
Game 2 - Suffolk 4, Stevenson 9; WP: J. Haines; LP: A Brandow; SV: M. Heuer
Suffolk to the lead in their first trip to the plate on a fielder's choice to score a runner from second. The Mustangs responded quickly with Mackenzie Tobler crossing the plate on a fielder's choice and an RBI single from
Marissa Heuer to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the first.
Suffolk squared the game in the second inning. Three straight Mustang hits to open the bottom of the third gave Stevenson a 4-2 lead.
Megan Hamp singled before
Marissa Heuer tripled to score her followed by a double from
Jillian Haines to send Heuer across the plate.
Stevenson added a single run in the fifth while Suffolk added two runs in the sixth to move the game to 4-5. Stevenson posted a four-run sixth inning to take a late 9-4 advantage. Heuer pitched the final two innings to pick up her first save of the season.
What's Next
The Mustangs continue their Spring Break trip in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on March 12 with games against Ithaca at 1pm followed by University of St.. Joseph's (CT) at 5pm.
