Friday, February 23
Orlando, Fla.
10 AM
Lehigh University
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Louisville
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Lehigh
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Lehigh downs Savannah State 7-1 to earn split on opening day
2/23/2018 3:25:00 PM | Softball
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Lehigh softball team earned a split on its opening day of the 2018 season, Friday on day one of the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic. The Mountain Hawks rebounded from a 14-1 setback at the hands of Louisville in their opener to defeat Savannah State 7-1 in game two.
Six different players recorded RBIs for Lehigh against the Tigers (3-3) with sophomores Hannah Edwards, Mary-Hannah Smith and Emily Preble each picking up two hits in the nightcap. Lehigh finished with 11 hits, while junior Emily Sorem kept Savannah State hitless through the first four innings. Sorem finished with a line of one run allowed on three hits in a complete game effort with five walks and four strikeouts.
Lehigh jumped on Savannah State early with two runs in the top of the first inning. An error, a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases and back-to-back sacrifice flies by senior Carolyn Wright and sophomore Reva Alderman staked the Mountain Hawks to a 2-0 lead.
In the second, Lehigh added three more runs as senior Rachel Timberman doubled home junior Ashley Rabago and senior Nicole Yozzo brought home a run with a ground out. Timberman came around to score when Edwards reached on an error to give Lehigh a 5-0 advantage.
The top of the Mountain Hawks' order manufactured two more runs in the fifth as Yozzo led off with a bunt single and Edwards tripled her home before sophomore Mary-Hannah Smith followed with a RBI single up the middle.
Lehigh was unable to add to its lead as Savannah State took the game the distance, scoring its only run on a sixth inning RBI single by Hannah Deckle, who also kept the Mountain Hawks at bay with four innings of scoreless relief.
The Mountain Hawks were active on the bases against the Tigers, stealing six bases in seven attempts, with Yozzo taking three, Rabago two and Edwards one.
Earlier Friday, Louisville scored 14 runs in its final four at-bats, capitalizing on nine walks by Lehigh pitching to end the game after six innings via the eight-run rule.
Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Mountain Hawks tried to get back into the game, but settled for just a single run. Wright laced a one-out double to center and Rabago followed with an infield single. Alderman was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and then Timberman was also hit, bringing home Wright to bring Lehigh within 5-1. Danielle Watson came out of the bullpen for the Cardinals to retire the side on a pop out and a comebacker.
Caitlin Ferguson went 3-for-3 with three RBIs for Louisville (7-3) while Alison Szydlowski drove in four runs, including a three-run home run in the third inning.
Sophomore Parker Boyd started for Lehigh and took the loss, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in five innings with five walks and four strikeouts. Louisville put the game out of reach with seven runs against freshman Lainey Stephenson in the sixth.
Smith had Lehigh's other hit against the Cards with a first-inning single. Timberman reached base twice via a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
The Mountain Hawks will play just one game on Saturday, but it will be a tough test against No. 22 Minnesota. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. with streaming video available via FloSoftball (subscription required).
Six different players recorded RBIs for Lehigh against the Tigers (3-3) with sophomores Hannah Edwards, Mary-Hannah Smith and Emily Preble each picking up two hits in the nightcap. Lehigh finished with 11 hits, while junior Emily Sorem kept Savannah State hitless through the first four innings. Sorem finished with a line of one run allowed on three hits in a complete game effort with five walks and four strikeouts.
Lehigh jumped on Savannah State early with two runs in the top of the first inning. An error, a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases and back-to-back sacrifice flies by senior Carolyn Wright and sophomore Reva Alderman staked the Mountain Hawks to a 2-0 lead.
In the second, Lehigh added three more runs as senior Rachel Timberman doubled home junior Ashley Rabago and senior Nicole Yozzo brought home a run with a ground out. Timberman came around to score when Edwards reached on an error to give Lehigh a 5-0 advantage.
The top of the Mountain Hawks' order manufactured two more runs in the fifth as Yozzo led off with a bunt single and Edwards tripled her home before sophomore Mary-Hannah Smith followed with a RBI single up the middle.
Lehigh was unable to add to its lead as Savannah State took the game the distance, scoring its only run on a sixth inning RBI single by Hannah Deckle, who also kept the Mountain Hawks at bay with four innings of scoreless relief.
The Mountain Hawks were active on the bases against the Tigers, stealing six bases in seven attempts, with Yozzo taking three, Rabago two and Edwards one.
Earlier Friday, Louisville scored 14 runs in its final four at-bats, capitalizing on nine walks by Lehigh pitching to end the game after six innings via the eight-run rule.
Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Mountain Hawks tried to get back into the game, but settled for just a single run. Wright laced a one-out double to center and Rabago followed with an infield single. Alderman was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and then Timberman was also hit, bringing home Wright to bring Lehigh within 5-1. Danielle Watson came out of the bullpen for the Cardinals to retire the side on a pop out and a comebacker.
Caitlin Ferguson went 3-for-3 with three RBIs for Louisville (7-3) while Alison Szydlowski drove in four runs, including a three-run home run in the third inning.
Sophomore Parker Boyd started for Lehigh and took the loss, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in five innings with five walks and four strikeouts. Louisville put the game out of reach with seven runs against freshman Lainey Stephenson in the sixth.
Smith had Lehigh's other hit against the Cards with a first-inning single. Timberman reached base twice via a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
The Mountain Hawks will play just one game on Saturday, but it will be a tough test against No. 22 Minnesota. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. with streaming video available via FloSoftball (subscription required).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Danielle Watson (5-2)
L: Boyd, Parker (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Caitlin Ferguson 1 ; Megan Hensley 1
HR: Alison Szydlowski 1
RBI: Caitlin Ferguson 3 ; Sidney Melton 3 ; Alison Szydlowski 4 ; Megan Hensley 1 ; Jamie Soles 1 ; Jordyn Wolfe 1
SH: Kyra Snyder 1
SF: Caitlin Ferguson 1 ; Alison Szydlowski 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Caitlin Ferguson 1 ; Sidney Melton 2 ; Alison Szydlowski 1 ; Nicole Pufahl 1 ; Jenna Jordan 1 ; Megan Hensley 1 ; Kyra Snyder 2 ; Jamie Soles 2 ; Catie Barber 1 ; Celene Funke 1 ; Jordyn Wolfe 1
SB: Sidney Melton 1 ; Celene Funke 1 ; Jordyn Wolfe 1
Batting:
2B: Wright, Carolyn 1
RBI: Timberman, Rachel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wright, Carolyn 1
CS: Timberman, Rachel 1
HBP: Alderman, Reva 1 ; Timberman, Rachel 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
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H
1
RBI
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AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
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H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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/ Softball
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OF
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/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballIF
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P/UT
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballOF
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