From NYU Athletics

The New York University softball team opened its 2020 season with games against FDU-Florham and host Kean College on Saturday, February 22, in Union, NJ.

The Violets opened with a 7-5 victory against FDU-Florham in the first game and then were defeated by Kean 13-7 in the nitecap.

NYU got off to a good start in the opener, scoring two runs in the top of the first on a single by Kalena Paredes (Gilroy, CA/Christopher) and a groundout by Rachel Colbus (Baltimore, MD/St. Paul's School for Girls).

FDU-Florham (0-2) came right back, however, and scored three in the bottom of the frame off NYU starter Maggie Swan (Annandale, NJ/North Hunterdon), who did not allow any more runs in her five innings of work.

The Violets struck back immediately, scoring three in the top of the second, with Lauren Kong's (Hayward, CA/Castro Valley) two-run single putting NYU ahead to stay.

Colbus (fourth inning) and Serena Ponciano (Manhattan Beach, CA/Mira Costa) (seventh inning) had RBI singles to account for the Violets' final runs.

Callie Kramsky (Marlboro, NJ/Rutgers Preparatory School) relieved Swan in the sixth and retired both of the batters she faced. She was followed by Eryn Onodera (Cypress, CA/Pacifica), who went the final 1.3 innings to pick up the save despite NYU allowing two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh. 

Samantha Sicignano (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville) collected three hits in the game (including a double), drew a walk, stole a base, and scored four runs hitting atop the NYU lineup. Peredes, Colbus, Ponciano, and Morgan Clemens (Califon, NJ/Voorhees) each contributed two hits.  

The second game didn't go as well for the Violets.

NYU had a 3-2 lead heading into the fifth, but a five-run outburst by Kean (2-0) gave them the lead for good.

Colbus was the hitting star in the nitecap, going 4-for-4, while Liz Carter (Bedford, MA/Bedford) went 2-for-4. Caroline Saccacio (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach) drove in two of NYU's seven runs, while Sicignano and Ponciano each scored a pair of runs in the loss.  

Swan also started the second game for NYU and again went five innings. Though the Cougars scored seven runs against her, only three were earned as the Violets committed three errors.  

"Overall, it was a good day offensively, but we need to tighten up defensively," said Head Coach Now-Allah James. "This was our first time outdoors, so it was a test for us.  Our pitchers will continue to improve as they get more innings in."