Reading, Pa. (March 28) – In MAC Commonwealth action, the Stevenson Softball team traveled to Alvernia for a Saturday doubleheader, earning a 3–0 shutout victory in game one behind a dominant pitching performance before falling 12–4 in six innings in game two after an early offensive surge was undone by a big inning from the Golden Wolves.
Game 1:
After a scoreless battle through the first four innings, Stevenson broke through in the fifth inning when
Emily Hamp delivered an RBI single to center field, bringing home the game's first run and giving the Mustangs a 1–0 advantage.
The Mustangs added crucial insurance runs in the sixth inning, as
Maria Morsa and
Olivia Munoz reached base to set the stage for
Rebecca Maiorano, who came through with a clutch two-RBI single up the middle to extend the lead to 3–0.
The Mustangs' defense was equally strong, playing a clean game with no errors while limiting Alvernia to just three total hits to seal the win.
Offensively, Stevenson tallied 10 hits, led by Maiorano's three-hit, two-RBI performance. Morsa added a pair of hits and a run scored, while Hamp contributed an RBI to pace the Mustangs' attack.
In the circle,
Anna Sexton (3-4) was exceptional, tossing a complete-game shutout. The junior allowed just three hits while striking out eight batters and facing only 24 hitters in a dominant outing to earn her third win of the season.
Game 2:
Stevenson wasted no time generating offense, breaking the game open in the top of the second inning with a four-run surge. After loading the bases, Morsa delivered an RBI single to get the Mustangs on the board, followed by a sacrifice fly from Munoz to make it 2–0.
Sahara Ward then came through with a clutch two-run double to left center, capping off a five-hit inning and giving Stevenson a commanding 4–0 lead.
Alvernia responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run, but the turning point came in the third. The Golden Wolves capitalized on a mix of timely hitting and defensive miscues to plate eight runs in the frame, flipping the momentum and taking a 9–4 lead.
Despite efforts to settle in defensively, Alvernia continued to add insurance runs in the fourth and sixth innings to extend the lead and eventually force the game to in the sixth with a 4-12 final score for the Mustangs.
Stevenson managed seven hits in the contest, with multiple contributions from Morsa, Ward, and
Tessa Boswell, but was unable to regain its early momentum at the plate.
In the circle,
Ky Vaughn got the start for the Mustangs, while
Alexis Kirkessner (1-4) took the loss after entering in relief.
Lilly Tinker and
Madison Statuto also saw time as Stevenson worked through the remainder of the game.
Stevenson will return to action on Tuesday, March 31st, when they host Mary Washington for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM.
