Links: Vs. Wilmington Box |
Vs. Felician Box
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  – The Merrimack College softball team opened the season with two wins at the 2018 Snowbird Softball Freeze Out, walking off against Wilmington, 3-2, in eight innings, before defeating Felician, 5-2, in the second game of the day. Wilmington has been to the past three NCAA Regionals.
The Basics
Game 1: Merrimack 3, Wilmington 2 | Final/ 8 innings
Game 2: Merrimack 5, Felician 2 | Final
Records: Merrimack (2-0) | Wilmington (Del.) (0-1) | Felician (0-1)
Location: Grand Park Complex | Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Rapid Recap (Wilmington)
- After a quick top of the first, the Warriors scored a pair of runs in the home half of the inning. Tiffany Mangiameli led off the inning being hit with the pitch. Senior Megan Cook followed up by reaching on an error and both runners advanced an extra base on the play.
- Alyssa Williamson sent a sacrifice fly to left field to score Mangiameli, before Caitlin McBride plated Cook to give Merrimack a 2-0 lead.
- Not much happened offensively for either team, until the top of the sixth when the Wildcats cut the lead in half. Pinch hitter after a leadoff double by Kiana Broderson Jones, pinch hitter Jordyn Virden singled to right center. She advanced to second on the throw to the infield. With runners on second and third, Makayla McCarthy singled through the infield and scored Jones.
- Cook retired the next two batters via the strike out. Neither team scored produced a run until Merrimack won in the bottom of the eighth.
- Mangiameli started the inning at second base, before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Cook. That set up the dramatic walk-off win. Williamson dropped a bunt between the pitcher and third, allowing Mangiameli to beat the throw to the plate, sliding underneath the tag.
Rapid Recap (Felician)
- Against the Golden Eagles, the Warriors again struck in the first inning. After a single and then moving to third on a fly out by Williamson, Nicole Nanof scored on a RBI single by McBride.
- Merrimack added to its lead in the third inning, thanks to a two-run blast by Williamson that scored Nanof as well.
- Felician scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to a run. The Warriors got those two runs back in the home half of the inning on. Hannah Johnson led off the inning with a double to left field. Mangiameli brought her in on a single to center, before stealing second base. Williamson then doubled to center, before moving to third, while Mangiameli was thrown out trying to score.
- That did not matter as McBride plated Williamson on a single up the middle to make it 5-2.
- Freshman Bridget Soraghan completed the final two innings to pick up her first-career save.
Notes and Notables
- Game 1 WP: Cook (1-0) | Game 1 LP: Caitlyn Whiteside (0-1)
- Game 2 WP: Brooke Bogacz (1-0) | Game 2 LP: Ashley Owens (0-1) | SV: Soraghan (1)
- Cook fanned 11 batters in her first game of the season, the most strikeouts in a single game for the senior.
- Bogacz had three strike outs in five innings of work in the second game.
- Williamson finished the day with four RBI, three hits, two runs, and a home run. McBride had three RBI in both games, collecting a pair of hits.
- Mangiameli and Johnson each had two hits, while Mangiameli picked up a RBI.
Up Next:
The Warriors return to the diamond tomorrow morning against Lock Haven and Clarion at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
