April 22, 2007
Box Score
Game One Box
Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College softball team moved into second in the Northeast Conference standings with a 6-5 (10) and 8-0 (6) doubleheader sweep of Monmouth at the Lower Athletic Field today. The Seahawks extended their winning streak to a season high seven games as they improved to 9-3 in the NEC and 19-15 overall. Having now lost six straight, Monmouth fell to 9-5 NEC and 23-14 overall.
After a walk off home run in game two yesterday, the late inning heroics continued in the first game today when junior Victoria Batistelli (Huntington Beach, CA / Huntington Beach) tied the game at 4-4 with a three run homer to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings. Sophomore Andrea Lazzari (Reno, NV /Wooster) then won the game with a RBI double in the tenth.
The dramatic come from behind win in the opener almost out shown another brilliant pitching performance from freshman Kate Eshelman (Reno, NV / McQueen), who tossed her sixth shutout of the year and allowed just two hits in game two to complete the sweep.
In the first contest of the afternoon, Monmouth took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first of on a RBI single into left from Jessica Nicola. In the fourth Heather Gordon's solo home run to left made it 2-0 in favor of the Hawks.
Eshelman put Wagner on the board in the fifth with a RBI triple down the left field line. The rookie pitcher brought in senior Christina Hopkins (Edison, NJ / Edison), who drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed over to second. The scored would remain 2-1 though as Eshelman was stranded at third when two straight strikeouts ended the inning.
The Hawks added another run on a sacrifice fly by Kara O'Dell in the top of the sixth to make it 3-1. Nicola scored on the play after a leadoff double started the opportunity. A two out double down the left field line by Nicole Alvarez added an insurance run for Monmouth pitcher Kristen Sawlsville in the top of the seventh as the Hawks led 4-1.
As they did against Mount St. Mary's yesterday the Seahawks again rallied in the bottom of the seventh. A one out walk to junior Katie Stevens (Reno, NV / Wooster) and a double to right by sophomore Lazzari brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Batistelli. The junior catcher launched her seventh home run of the season to straight away center to even the count at 4-4.
With the international tie breaker placing a runner on second in the tenth inning, Nicola gave the Hawks a 5-4 lead with a two out RBI bloop to right. Monmouth had runners on first and third with no outs until a lineout double play to Lazzari at first base.
In the Wagner tenth, senior Natalie Stephens (Jackson, NJ / Jackson) reached on an error when she attempted to sacrifice Hopkins over to third. Hopkins came all the way around to score on the play tying the game at 5-5. Another sacrifice and an intentional walk to Stevens put runners on the corners, setting up the game winning double from Lazzari. Wagner left 16 runners on base in the game.
After nine strong innings in the circle from senior Morgan Miller (Las Vegas, NV / Silverado), Hopkins took over in the tenth to pick up the win improving to 2-2 on the season. Angela Rand (4-3) came on for Sawlsville in the seventh, taking the defeat for the Hawks.
Game two was all Eshelman (8-6) in the circle. The Reno, NV product, who now has four shutouts in six NEC games this year, allowed just one runner past first base all game, while striking out five hitters against zero walks. Gordon (2-5) took the loss for Monmouth.
Sophomore Jaclyn Vanore (Palisades Park, NJ / Paramus Catholic) gave Wagner a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning with a two out, two-run single up the middle scoring Batistelli (fielder's choice) and grad student Joy Gallagher (Hazleton, PA / Hazleton), who walked and advance on a wild pitch.
Monmouth mounted their best rally in the fifth on the strength of a leadoff single and a two out infield error. The door was quickly shut by Eshelman however as she struck out the next batter to close out the inning.
Wagner finally put up the runners need to back Eshelman's performance in the sixth when they finished the game off with a six run stanza. Gallagher started the party off with a solo home run to center, her fourth of the year and third in the last six games. Two more hits and a double by Hopkins brought in another run before a bases loaded single up the middle by Eshleman ran the count to 5-0 in favor of the Seahawks. With the bases still juiced up with green and white uniforms Stevens lined a two run ground rule double down the left field line setting up Lazzari. The second year first base man one again ended the game for Wagner this time hitting a sacrifice fly to right that invoked the eight run mercy rule.
Vanore led the team with four hits on the day, while Hopkins, Eshelman, and Lazzari recorded three each.
Wagner returns to action on Wednesday when they host Lafayette in a non-league doubleheader.
Game 1 (10) R H E
Monmouth 5 14 2
Wagner 6 9 0
Game 2 (6) R H E
Monmouth 0 2 1
Wagner 8 11 1
