From NYU Athletics
The New York University softball team split a pair of games against the Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, March 30, at home at the Bahoshy Softball Complex on the campus of Fordham University in the Bronx, NY.
"We're starting to grow, and being such a young team we're now getting a lot of meaningful experience that will turn us into a tough, veteran team over the next couple of seasons," said NYU Head Coach Now-Allah James.
NYU (10-12) and Stevens (9-5) played closely throughout the first three innings of game one and entered the fourth tied at 2-2. The Ducks scored twice in the top half of the second, but the Violets countered thanks to a pair of Claire Stefanelli plays. The rookie outfielder first plated Molly Webber after launching an RBI triple to center. She followed up with a run of her own after an errant pickoff attempt by the Stevens' catcher.
The Ducks took a 5-2 lead after the top of the fourth, but Stefanelli was able to trim it to a two-run deficit with a solo home run -- her second of the season -- to left. Stevens scored twice more in the fifth to take a 7-3 lead, but an RBI triple from Olivia Mould in the home half cut the deficit to three.
Stevens scored once more in the sixth to take an 8-4 lead. With two outs, Parulis' RBI triple to right-center plated Stefanelli to cut it to a three-run game, but the offense stopped there for the final of 8-5.
Game two saw the Violets score twice in the first and hold that two-run lead until the bottom of the fourth when they scored six more runs in what looked to be a shortened contest.
Diana King led off the game with a single and eventually advanced to third on a pair of passed balls. Sage Scheiwiller notched an RBI in the following at-bat with a groundout to first. Then, with two outs and Stefanelli on second, Parulis registered an RBI single to put NYU up 2-0.
The Violets exploded offensively in the bottom of the fourth. The rally began with an RBI single up the middle by Jacqueline Finn to score Kahala Bonsignore, who led off the inning with a double. A couple of at-bats later, King notched an RBI double. Then, with two outs, Mould scored on an error. Parulis followed up with a ground-rule double for two RBIs. Bonsignore closed out the scoring with an RBI single to plate Webber as NYU batted around.
"Cassi came up with big hits for us all day, and if she keeps hitting like that it becomes an important spot in the lineup for us," said James.
Unfortunately, the Ducks' offense began to click in the next half-inning as they put up six runs (all unearned) to chase Parulis from the circle. Stevens scored another in the top of the sixth to trim NYU's lead to one run at 8-7. Heading into the top of seventh, the Violets needed just three outs to come away with the win. Jacqueline Tremblay, who had pitched the previous inning and a third, got the first out. Karissa Zubulake entered the game in relief with one out and the bases loaded. The rookie notched the final two outs for her second save of the season.
"The beauty of having as many pitchers as we do allows us to bring in more than just a couple of starters in order to pick up nice team wins," James said.
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:
- Stefanelli finished 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBIs, two triples, and a home run.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:
- Parulis went 4.2 innings in the win and gave up six runs (no earned) on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Tremblay tossed 1.2 innings in relief and gave up one run (no earned) on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.
- King finished 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles and a RBI.
- Parulis was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a double.
- Bonsignore went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a run, a double, and a stolen base.
"It's good to see Kahala come back strong today," continued James. "Having her and Dakota Damiani is great because they compliment each other and each one brings something different to the game."