LEESBURG, Fla. – The Arcadia University softball team continued its spring break trip in Florida, picking up two more wins to move to 3-1 on the young season. The Knights opened the day with an 8-0, six-inning win over Western Connecticut State (4-6), before notching a 5-3 triumph over FDU-Florham (2-6) in nine innings.
ARCADIA 8, WESTERN CONNECTICUT STATE 0 (6 INNINGS)
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Knights didn't waste any time putting the bats to works, as they plated four runs in the opening frame. Sophomore
Jackie Bilotti, who led off the contest with a walk, opened the scoring as she crossed the dish when freshman
Tori Zangrilli reached on an error by the first baseman. Two batters later, freshman
Mary Pat Murray sent an 0-1, one-out pitch deep to right field for a double to score sophomore
Kristin Cancelliere from third. Sophomore
Kayla Resh went on to plate Zangrilli in the next at-bat with a single to second, before Murray came home on a groundout by classmate
Bekah Good.
The offense went back to work in the bottom of the fourth, when Good sent a 2-2 pitch to left center to bring Resh home from second. Good moved to second on a wild pitch before going to third on a groundout by junior
Kaylee Zarick. Bilotti brought Good home with a single through the left side, before scoring the game's final run on a wild pitch with two out in the bottom of the sixth.
ARCADIA LEADERS: Bilotti went 2-3 at the dish with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored to lead the Arcadia offense. Good drove in a team-leading two runs.
WESTERN CONNECTICUT STATE LEADERS: Kam Geysen, Charline Plasczynski, Natalia Hart, Nicole Bonanni and Alexandra LaFemina all recorded hits for the Colonials.
IN THE CIRCLE: Freshman
Kylee Schwind (2-0) tossed a gem, throw six innings of scoreless ball while allowing five hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts. Arcadia chased Angelina Miller (1-1) after just 0.1 innings, in which she allowed four runs, two earned, on one hit with two walks and a strikeout. Jaclyn Smith threw 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
ARCADIA 5, FDU-FLORHAM 3 (9 INNINGS)
HOW IT HAPPENED: Arcadia again jumped out to an early lead, as Zangrilli scored on an error by the right fielder after Murray singled to right with two outs in the top of the first. The lead was extended in the top of the fourth, when Good sent a two-out offering over the left field fence for her first career dinger. The scored would be tied at two following the bottom of the frame, however, after Michelle Mangini took a 2-out, 3-2 pitch to deep left field for a two-run, inside-the-park home run.
That score stood into extra innings until Bilotti came to the plate in the top of the ninth with runners on first and third and no outs. The sophomore sent the first pitch she saw to left center to score Zarick from third and move junior
Marissa Mancinelli from first to third. Both base runners scored on the next play when Cancilliere singled to right. The hit resulted in Mancinelli crossing the plate, while Bilotti scored courtesy of an error by the right fielder.
ARCADIA LEADERS: Bilotti and Murray each went 3-5 in the game, while Bilotti drove in a run and scored one. Mancinelli was 3-4 in the nine-spot, while scoring a run.
FDU-FLORHAM LEADERS: Four different Red Devils recorded a hit with Mangini leading the way with two RBI.
IN THE CIRCLE: Murray (1-0) went the distance in her collegiate pitching debut, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits with nine strikeouts. Audrie Thomas (0-4) pitched all nine innings, allowing five runs, two earned, on 12 hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
