Softball

Merchant Marine Takes Conference Doubleheader

Apr 23, 2007

Game One

Merchant Marine, 5

Farmingdale State, 2

Game Two

Merchant Marine, 4

Farmingdale State, 1

Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State softball team dropped to 11-14 overall and 7-9 in the Skyline as Merchant Marine (15-15, 8-6) took both games of a conference doubleheader today in Farmingdale, N.Y. Seniors Gina Moscato (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) and Devan Weber (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) were playing in their final home game for the Rams.

Farmingdale State went up 2-0 in the first inning of game one with runs scored by Moscato and junior shortstop Amanda Sperling (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa). The Mariners responded in the fourth inning with an RBI single by pitcher Jess LaValley (Havelock, N.C./Havelock) that scored sophomore Karen Taylor (Amarillo, Texas/Randall) from third to make it 2-1. Merchant Marine would add four more in the fifth on five hits and would hold on through the next three innings for the 5-2 victory.

Rams junior pitcher Jaclyn Buckshaw (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) pitched seven innings and struck out seven in the loss, while Mariners junior pitcher Marjorie Marino (Alexandria, Va./Hayfield) finished with 11 strikeouts and five walks for the win.

After a scoreless first inning in the second game, both teams scored one run in the second and the game would call for extra innings. Merchant Marine's Karen Taylor was placed on second to start the eighth inning and LaValley reached second on an error as Taylor scored for the first run (unearned) of the inning. Freshman outfielder Nicole Soto (Jonesboro, Ga./Jonesboro) came up and singled to right field, bringing LaValley around from second. Marino came up and doubled to left for the Soto score and the third run, a 4-1 lead. The Rams would start the inning with sophomore outfielder Kristen Dawes (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon) on second, but LaValley struck out the side for the 4-1 win.

Farmingdale freshman pitcher Lauren Poplawski (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) went eight innings and struck out five with no earned runs in the loss. LaValley earned the win with 15 strikeouts.

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