NAPLES, FL – Playing for the first time this season, the Nazareth women's softball combined for 32 hits in two wins over Centenary (NJ) and Edgewood (WI) Sunday at North Collier Park in Naples Florida. The Golden Flyers dropped Centenary 13-1 in their opening game before an 18-1 triumph over Edgewood in five innings.
Nazareth moves to 2-0 on the season. The Golden Flyers return to action on Monday against Salem State at 9 a.m., followed by Umass-Dartmouth at 1 p.m.
Game 1 - Nazareth 13, Centenary (NJ) 1
The Golden Flyers notched 15 hits, including four batters with three apiece in a 13-1 win to open the season.
Marissa Tortora and
Nicole White each went 3-for-5, while
Meghan Barry and
Kristen Simmons finished 3-for-4.
Nazareth picked up two runs in the third inning on RBI singles from Tortora and White. The Golden Flyers took advantage of an error which put Simmons at third base. That allowed Tortora to punch Simmons in the very next batter. Two batters later, White singled to get the other run of the inning.
After the Cylcones scored one in the bottom half, the Golden Flyers cashed in with two runs of their own to start the fourth. Nazareth made Centenary pay for two errors to begin the inning.
Delaney St. George hit a bloop into right field that scored
Annika Guiliano. Later in the inning, Tortora notched her second RBI of the game with a deep line drive to center.
In the fifth, Nazareth began with back-to-back singles from White and Barry. Barry's single down the right field line scored White from second. Simmons notched her first collegiate RBI later in the inning with a slap to left for a 6-1 margin.
With the bases loaded, Tortora scored in the sixth on a throwing error from the third baseman to give Nazareth a 7-1 lead.
The flood gates opened up for Nazareth in the final frame. Tortora notched her third hit (3-for-5) of the game on an RBI single.
Stephanie Mongelli and White each had two-RBI doubles in the inning. White finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBI. Later in the inning, Barry scored White on and RBI double.
White earned the win on the mound allowing just one run on five hits with a career-high 15 strikeouts.
Game 2 – Nazareth 18, Edgewood (WI) 1 (5 innings)
The Golden Flyers got on the board first in the opening inning with Tortora scoring from first on a throwing error from the third baseman.
Nazareth did some damage in the second, putting up four runs.
Sarah Papponetti walked with the bases loaded for the first run. Tortora cashed in a single to pick up an RBI and Mongelli ripped a two-RBI single to push the lead to 5-1.
The Golden Flyers exploded for 12 runs on 11 hits, with two errors in the third inning to break open the contest to 17-0. Simmons and Mongelli each had two RBI singles in the inning, while Barry and Papponetti contributed one each. Tortora was credited with two RBI while Guiliano had an RBI double.
Edgewood's lone run came off a home run in the fourth inning.
The Golden Flyers added their final run in the bottom half.
Mongelli led Nazareth with four RBI (3-for-4), while Simmons (3-for-4) contributed two. Tortora capped her day against Edgewood 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Rachel Mertens allowed five hits and just one run, while striking out 10 batters.
