Tartans Fall in a Pair of Nail Biters to Open Salisbury Tournament

(SALISBURY, Md) – The Carnegie Mellon University softball team dropped a pair of games on Saturday, March 16 to The College of New Jersey (9-2) and second-ranked Salisbury University (8-1) during the Salisbury Tournament. The Tartans fell to the Lions, 6-5 in extra innings, and to the Seagulls, 2-1. The Tartans are now 1-3 to start the year.

Against the Lions

• The Tartans opened the scoring in the top of the first with a run by senior Kiera Boucher.
• Boucher led off the inning with a single and stole second. After advancing to third on a groundout by freshman Maddy Beall, Boucher scored when sophomore Kira Monji singled to the catcher.
• The Lions answered in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Julia Kinnally.
• The Tartans took the lead in the top of the fourth with sophomore Koko Sagae and sophomore Maya Goodwin scoring. Goodwin hit a triple with one out to plate Sagae who reached on a fielder's choice. Goodwin later scored on a sacrifice fly junior Allie Rome.
• The Tartans added two runs in the top of the fifth inning when sophomore Kyr Brenneman's infield single scored two runners with two outs.
• A home run by TCNJ's Kaci Neveling made it 5-3 after the bottom of the fifth.
• The Lions then scored one run in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game before scoring once in the bottom of the eighth to rally for the win.
• Sophomore Haley Pucci pitched six innings and scattered five hits with four strikeouts.

Against #2 Salisbury

• Senior Amanda Smith went the distance for the Tartans, scattering eight hits with six strikeouts in seven innings.
• The Tartans once again scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Goodwin singled down the right field line to score Monji who doubled to left center with two outs.
• Salisbury tied it up in the top of the fifth.
• Freshman Maya Bala led of the sixth inning with a double but was stranded on the bases.
• Salisbury took the lead in the top of the seventh when Natalie Paoli scored from first on a double to left field by Carrie Jacoby.
• The Tartans rally came up short with Boucher stranded on first after hitting a single with two outs.

Up Next

The Tartans continue play at the Salisbury Tournament with an 11:00 a.m. game against King's College on Sunday, March 17, and a game at 1:15 p.m. against Manhattanville College.