Over spring break the Fighting Scots women’s softball team competed in several contests in Florida.
They opened with a split of two contests in the Rebel Spring Games at the Osceola County Complex. The Fighting Scots opened the season with a 4-0 win over Urbana before dropping an 8-6 decision to Northern State.
Beth Mullins picked up where she left off a year ago in the season opener. The junior tossed a three-hitter and did not issue a walk while striking out five. A year ago she finished with a 15-11 record while earning first team All-PSAC West honors.
Freshman Jessica VanDamia provided the offense, driving in all four runs. The Fighting Scots took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when freshman Marissa Pullo singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single by VanDamia. Edinboro tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning on a two-out bases loaded double by VanDamia. The two freshmen combined for four of Edinboro’s seven hits.
The loss dropped Urbana to 1-1.
In the nightcap, freshman Amanda Shields from nearby Fort LeBoeuf High School got the call on the mound but did not make it through the second inning. Edinboro opened the game in the top of the first inning with a pair of runs on a two-run homer by Jade Thrower.
Northern State, now 3-7, answered with six runs in the bottom of the frame thanks to five hits, a pair of walks and a costly error. The Wolves added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning to chase Shields. Sophomore Stacie Balkovic came in and shut out Northern State the rest of the way. Balkovic scattered five hits and a walk while striking out three over the final five innings. Shields allowed all eight runs, although only four were earned.
Edinboro closed to 8-5 in the top of the sixth inning with three runs. Caitie Weber’s fielder’s choice drove in the first run, and freshman Stephanie Cassidy drove in two more runs with a single up the middle with two outs.
The Fighting Scots tried to rally in the seventh inning but came up short. Kari Falk, yet another of the freshmen in the lineup, doubled to left for her fourth hit of the game with two outs. Caitlin Baer followed with a double to left center to pull the Scots within two runs but pinch hitter Brittney Mackey grounded out to second to end the game.
Edinboro ended the game with 15 hits. In addition to Falk’s 4-for-4 effort, Cassidy was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, with Thrower and freshman Breanna Price adding two hits each.
On the second day freshman pitcher Brittney Mackey made an impressive debut in her first start. The right hander threw a five inning no-hitter to lead the Fighting Scots to an 8-0 win over Fayetteville State in the first of two games on Monday. In the nightcap, 18th-ranked C.W. Post defeated Edinboro 4-1.
Mackey walked the leadoff batter in the first inning and permitted another base on balls in the fifth inning. Those were the only baserunners she allowed, while striking out eight. Mackey is a former standout at Edgewood (Ohio) High School.
The Boro offense made things easy for Mackey with five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Marissa Pullo opened the inning with a bunt single. Kerri Falk, another freshman, followed with an infield single. Freshman Ashley Black’s groundout drove in Pullo, with Jade Thrower connecting for a two-run homer, her second in three games, for a 3-0 lead. Brittany Price and freshman T’ana Abt would add RBI doubles in the inning.
Edinboro tacked on three runs in the third inning. Ashley Holmes led off the inning with a single. Amy Sisson would reach on a single, and both runners later scored on passed balls. Abt reached base, stole second and third, and scored the final run when the catcher threw the ball into left field.
C.W. Post pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to snap a 1-1 tie and hand Edinboro a 4-1 defeat. The 18th-ranked Pioneers rode the strong pitching of Sarah Kiser, the 2009 East Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. Kiser scattered four hits and struck out 11.
The Pioneers opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with a run, but the Fighting Scots tied the game in the top of the fifth inning when Amy Sisson hit her first home run of the season.
Beth Mullins (1-1) ended up the hard-luck loser despite allowing just one earned run. C.W. Post scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth when Shannon Kulnis hit a bases clearing double with two outs. Mullins gave up just four hits while walking two and striking out four.
The next day of games saw two Scots losses. In the morning opener, the Fighting Scots fell in eight innings to Indianapolis, 1-0 with junior Beth Mullins going the distance and not giving up an earned run and striking out three. In the afternoon affair, Edinboro fell 6-1 to Charleston (WV) with Stephanie Cassidy’s solo home run being the only run for the Boro.
“We played really well,” noted head coach Dan Gierlak. “We went back and forth with a good team. We battled them.”
In the afternoon session, Edinboro got into an early 4-0 hole against Charleston before Stephanie Cassidy opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to make the score 4-1. The Eagles would pick up two more insurance runs in the next inning to set the final tally at 6-1. Edinboro mustered just three hits against the Charleston’s Stefanie Rossman as Gierlak tried to get his younger players some experience.
“We played a lot of young kids today,” said Gierlak. “We’re young and we’ll just have to keep working hard.”
Part of the youth movement for Gierlak was on the mound. Freshman Brittney Mackey suffered the loss as she went four innings and gave up three earned runs on five hits. She struck out three while walking three. Sophomore Stacie Balkovic relieved the freshman and went one inning while giving up one run on a home run. Another freshman, Amanda Shields, finished up the game for the Boro as she went two scoreless innings while giving up one hit, a walk and striking out one.
In the final day of games Edinboro was schedule to play a pair of games, facing Minnesota-Duluth in the first game and Truman State in the second. They were fortunate enough to get in one game as heavy rains and lightning deluged the area. To head coach Dan Gierlak, unfortunate may be the proper word as his youthful Fighting Scots squad continued to struggle with the bats, losing 4-1. The game was called after six innings due to lightning, and lasted nearly seven hours after starting at 9 a.m.
The loss dropped Edinboro to 2-5, while Minnesota-Duluth is now 2-1. The Fighting Scots were scheduled to play New York Tech and Wilmington (Del.) the next day but those games were also rained out.
The Bulldogs scored a run in the top of the first inning but Edinboro answered with a run in the bottom of the third, courtesy of a solo home run to right field with one out by freshman Ashley Black. It was the first career homer for the former Fort LeBoeuf High School standout. Brittney Price accounted for Edinboro’s other hit with a single in the third inning.
Minnesota-Duluth took the lead for good with two outs in the top of the fourth inning when an error allowed two runs to score. A lengthy rain delay soon followed. When play resumed, the Bulldogs scored an insurance run in the top of the fifth to chase starter Beth Mullins, who fell to 1-3.
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