Updated Stats
NAPLES, FL – A day after opening the season with two wins, the Nazareth softball team earned a split Monday against two strong opponents in Salem State (MA) and UMass-Dartmouth (MA). Nazareth fell 8-2 in its opening contest to Salem State before senior pitcher
Rachel Mertens held previously unbeaten UMass-Dartmouth (7-1) scoreless in a 3-0 victory.
The Golden Flyers move to 3-1 on the season.
Nazareth will play its next six games in Fort Myers, beginning with Nichols (MA) at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, followed by Curry (MA) at 11 a.m.
Game 1 – Salem State (MA) 8, Nazareth 2
With Nazareth holding a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, the Vikings bats came alive as they scored six runs on seven hits, including a three-run home run to take a 6-1 advantage.
Salem State added two more runs in the seventh before
Sarah Papponetti picked up an RBI to score
Delaney St. George to round out the scoring. Papponetti finished the game 2-for-4.
Freshman
Marissa Hayes made her pitching debut, going four innings, allowing no runs on one hit with one strikeout.
Nicole White came on in relief.
The Golden Flyers were able to push a run across in the third inning.
Marissa Tortora hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring
Jessica Mount.
Mount went 2-for-3 for the Golden Flyers.
White (1-1) was tagged with the loss surrendering eight runs on nine hits.
Game 2, Nazareth, UMass-Dartmouth
Mertens pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits, to go along with five strikeouts in the victory.
The senior was tested throughout, but responded each time. Mertens got out of a jam in the fourth, inducing a groundout for the final out of the inning to leave two runners on base.
The Golden Flyers then struck later in the fourth to break the scoreless tie. Following a Tortora single and
Stephanie Mongelli reaching first on an error,
Meghan Barry delivered a two-RBI single to score both runners.
UMass-Dartmouth threatened again in the fifth. With runners at first and second, Barry made a diving catch in left and
Annika Guiliano made a quick snag and throw at third base for the final out of the inning.
Nazareth picked up an insurance run in the fifth with Tortora launching a double to the fence with two outs to score Papponetti and make it 3-0. Tortora was 2-for-3 in the win.
