The Bloomfield College softball team split its season opening doubleheader at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney. In game 1, the Deacons topped Medaille College 5-1 behind senior pitcher Brianne Moore. BC dropped game 2, 6-2 after a 4-run 7th inning Medaille rally.
The story of Game 1 was Moore’s dominant performance in the circle. The righty earned the 3rd opening game win of her career, hurling a complete game 3 hitter with 6 strikeouts. Moore walked just one and allowed only one runner past 1st base all game.
The Deacons scored all the runs they needed with a 5 run, 3rd inning rally. Freshman Krystina Poloni led off the frame by blasting a double to centerfield in her first collegiate at bat. The throw actually beat Poloni to the bag, but she executed an outstanding slide to evade the tag. Daliana Perez followed with a bunt single, and after a stolen base and a Brittany DeVries walk, the bases were loaded with no outs.
Kira Wagar’s gounder to short was played to the plate, but Medaille’s catcher failed to tag home allowing an unearned run to score. Bianka Cosme reached on a fielder’s choice and that set the stage for BC’s turning point of the game.
Freshman Ashleigh Williams ripped a line drive into right field that went past the right fielder for a single and 2 base error. The hit cleared the bases and gave BC a 4-0 lead. Bloomfield added the final run on a 2 out line drive single to center by Moore to plate Williams.
Neither team would put together much offense after that as BC cruised to the 5-1 win.
Game 2 was a different story as the Deacons weren’t sharp on offense or defense.
Wagar started the game with a booming double to left and freshman Ashton Corley followed with a bunt single. A stolen base by Corley put runners at 2nd and 3rd for Williams. Wagar scored on a wild pitch to give BC an early lead and Williams appeared to give the Deacons a 2-0 lead with a deep sacrifice fly. However, a lineup card error forced the umpires to strike Corley’s run from the board and leave BC with a 1-0 lead.
Medaille tied the game when BC committed back to back errors with two outs in the 4th and they grabbed the lead run in the 5th with another unearned run.
BC tied the game in the bottom of the 6th when Corley led off the frame with a sharp single to left. Williams then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt pushing Corley all the way to third. The throw to nab Corley sailed past 3rd allowing the tying run to score.
However BC’s good fortune did not last long as Medaille put up 4 runs in the top of the 7th to seal the win.
The Deacons mounted a rally in the bottom fo the 7th as Perez walked and DeVries singled, but a strikeout and a line out ended the game for BC.
Williams pitched well in her first collegiate start, allowing just 2 earned runs and walking 1 in a complete game effort. The Deacon defense let Williams down as they committed 5 errors in a sloppy game.
Bloomfield was also hurt when Wagar, the team’s top player, went down in the 2nd inning with a shoulder injury. The senior shortstop made a tremendous diving play on a grounder up the middle, but landed hard on her shoulder, knocking her out for the remainder of the game. Her status is game to game.
Corley was 3-4 on the game with her only out a screaming line drive to first. She scored a run and had a stolen base. DeVries also had a multi-hit game, going 2 for 3.
Bloomfield College softball returns to action tomorrow morning at 9am against a strong Susquehanna College squad. You can follow the action live on www.bcdeacons.com.