Cook Tosses One-Hit Shutout; Softball Registers Second Sweep on Final Day in Myrtle Beach
Links: Box Score (Game 1 | Game 2)
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Headlined by a complete game one-hit shutout on the mound for junior Megan Cook (Bellingham, Mass.) in the first game of the day, the Merrimack College softball team registered its second straight two-game sweep on its final day in Myrtle Beach, beating Wilmington (Del.) and Shippensburg to post five wins in six games during the weekend in South Carolina.
The Basics
Score (G1): Merrimack 5, Wilmington (Del.) 0
Score (G2): Merrimack 4, Shippensburg 2
Records: Merrimack (5-1) | Wilmington (3-2) | Shippensburg (6-5)
Location: Grand Park Recreational Complex | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
How It Happened (Game 1)
Cook would dominate on the hill in the Warriors' first game Sunday morning, pitching the second consecutive one-hit shutout for Merrimack. The junior would register five strikeouts and allow no walks in seven innings, with the lone single for Wilmington also being its only baserunner in the entire game, as Cook lead the Warriors to a 5-0 win and second shutout victory in a row.
Cook would also be the first to help her own cause at the plate, ripping an RBI double to center field in the top of the second inning to give Merrimack the first lead of the game at 1-0. She would also score later in the inning on the first-career RBI from freshman Tiffany Mangiameli (Middlefield, Conn.) on a base-hit.
After three innings that saw both teams combine for just one hit, the Warriors would open up for three runs in the fifth inning, kicked off by a leadoff single and second hit ofthe game for Mangiameli. After advancing on a sacrifice, Manigamelli would be knocked in by junior Alyssa Williamson (Scarborough, Maine) to take a 3-0 lead. Merrimack would add two more later in the inning on two-RBI single from senior Tamarra Crowe (North Bend, Wash.) to take a 5-0 lead that would be more than enough with Cook dealing on the mound.
How It Happened (Game 2)
The Warriors would have to grind out a 4-2 win in their second game of the day, taking on a solid Shippensburg squad that is already in the third week of its season. But the Warriors were able to get out to an early lead thanks to an RBI single from senior captain Haley Currie (Burlington, Vt.) in the first inning.
Merrimack would extend its lead to 2-0 in the third inning on the second RBI of the game from Currie, this time on a sacrifice fly to center field in her second at bat, but Shippensburg would get the run back the same inning to cut the lead back to one, picking up the run on just one hit but two errors in the field from the Warriors.
Continuing her rampant start to her senior campaign, senior Kaleigh Finigan (Medford, Mass.) would put Merrimack's lead back at two runs with an RBI double in the fifth inning.
After a strong start from junior Courtney Zambello (Sharon, Mass.), registering five strikeouts and allowing just one run and four hits in 4.2 innings, Shippensburg would start to threaten with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth. Currie would come in to face the bases loaded siutation and delivier a three-pitch strikeout to get out of the jam.
Merrimack would add a fourth insurance run in the top of the seventh inning for a 4-1 lead, and the Raiders would again start to battle back with a run in the final inning to make it 4-2, but Currie would seal the 2.1 inning save and fifth win of the weekend for the Warriors.
Inside The Numbers
- Cook's pitching line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. In two starts this season, she's pitched 15 innings, registered 10 stikeouts and has posted a 0.47 ERA, as well as the first shutout of her career.
- Mangiameli has had a strong start to her collegiate career, recording three hits in her first five at bats for a .600 average, adding a double and an RBI.
- Through the first six games of her senior season, Finigan is 6-for-19 with a grand slam and a team-high 8 RBI.
Up Next
The Warriors have three weeks off before heading back down south to Clermont, Florida to participate in the Dot Richardson Spring Games from March 11-18.
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