MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Johnson State College softball team opened its season with a pair of losses at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex on Friday. The Badgers fell to Medaille 10-3 in their first game, followed by a 3-1 loss to Hilbert in game two.
The losses start the Badgers season at 0-2, while Medaille and Hilbert improve to 7-5 and 6-5, respectively.
Medaille 10, Johnson 3
Medaille struck first with Abby Nicometi hitting an RBI single in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
Johnson answered back in the top of the second when Kasie Craig (Newbury, Vt.) laid down a bunt that scored Kaitlynn Woodward (White River, Vt.). Hannah Leroux (Albany, Vt.) would score on a double steal later in the inning to give Johnson the 2-1 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, a Morgan Ziemba double and Sharon Trigilio sacrifice fly would drive in two more runs to give the lead back to the Mavericks, 3-2.
In the top of the third, Jennie Moore (Peachem, Vt.) hit a one-out single and stole second to set Anna Bingham (Island Pond, Vt.) up for an RBI double that knotted the score back at three.
Medaille would send ten batters to the plate in the bottom of the third and put six runs up to take the 9-3 lead.
The Mavericks tacked on one more run in the fifth on a Triglio RBI triple, while Medaille pitcher Brooke Peters quieted the Johnson bats over the last four innings to take the 10-3 victory.
Peters earned the win for Medaille, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out seven in the complete game effort. Woodward was tagged with the loss, giving up 10 runs, four earned, on 10 hits while striking out four.
Hilbert 3, Johnson 1
The game stayed scoreless through the first three innings, despite both teams getting runners into scoring position in all but one half inning.
The Badgers got on the board first in the top of the fourth when Alannah Farley (Ryegate, Vt.) reached on an error and Woodward came around to score.
In the bottom half of the inning, Nateal Papasergi loaded the bases on an error which would have been the third out of the inning. Rebecca Bailey followed with a bases clearing triple to give Hilbert the 3-1 lead.
The Badgers were unable to string together hits in the final innings and fell 3-1.
Marissa McIntyre allowed no earned runs to earn the victory, striking out 12 and allowing five hits. Leroux was given the loss, despite giving up no earned runs on six hits, while striking out five.
Next Up
Johnson returns to action in Myrtle Beach on Saturday, March 11th when they take on Alfred State and Rutgers-Camden at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.