DUNDALK, Md. – The Gators hosted Cairn University Saturday afternoon in their first Colonial States Athletic Conference doubleheader of the season. NDMU split their doubleheader with the Highlanders, taking the victory in the first game in extra innings and then falling in their second game of the day.
GAME 1
The Gators got an early start in the first innings of their first game. Leading off, freshman
Maci Lopez singled to right center. After a groundout by junior
Naudiya Hopkins moved Lopez to second, junior
Isa Carunungan came up to the plate. She knocked in the first run of the game, scoring Lopez from second on a hit down the right field line.
In senior
Samantha Kastner's first at bat of the day, she hit a double to score Carunungan from second, giving the Gators a 2-0 lead. Sophomore
Jodie Bronushas hit a single to move Kastner to third. With two outs, Kastner scored from third on a wild pitch.
The Gators held a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
In the top of the second, Cairn got on the board to even the score at three apiece.
In the bottom of the third, the Gators again took a lead when sophomore
Rena Dyson singled to center field. She scored Carunungan from third. Carunungan led off the inning with a walk.
After three innings of play, the Gators held a narrow 4-3 lead.
NDMU struggled to score in the next three innings, allowing Cairn to take a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Gators were faced with a two-run deficit, with the top of the order at bat. After Hopkins grounded out and Carunungan struck out, the Gators were faced with two outs when Kastner stepped up to the plate.
Kastner helped to extend the inning getting on base after drawing a walk. Bronushas hit her second double of the game to move Kastner to third.
Freshman
Amethyst Stevens in her at bat, hit a single down the left field line to score Kastner and Bronushas and extend the game, tying up the score a six all.
The Gators held the Highlanders scoreless in the top of the eighth. NDMU could not get the bats going in the bottom of the eighth extending the game into the ninth inning.
Only facing four batters, the Gators again held the Highlanders scoreless to head into the bottom of the ninth.
Similar to the seventh inning, NDMU was again faced with two outs when Kastner stepped up to the plate. This time, she singled to right field, bringing Bronushas up to bat. She reached on an error by the Highlanders to put runners on first and second.
In her fifth and final at bat for the game, Stevens hit another booming ball, this time for a walk off single, to the outfield to score Kastner from second.
The Gators would take game one 7-6 in extra innings.
At the plate, Bronushas led the team with four hits, followed by Stevens with three. Steven led the way with three RBIs including the game winner. Bronushas and Kastner both tallied doubles in the win.
Pitching for the Gators, Bronushas notched her second win of the season. She tallied six strikeouts.
GAME 2
In their second game of the doubleheader, the Gators gave up two runs in the top of the first to the Highlanders.
Lopez, leading off for Notre Dame, singled to left field. Following Lopez, Hopkins walked to put Lopez in scoring position at second.
Kastner, hitting her second double of the day, scored Lopez from second and moving Hopkins to third. Bronushas grounded out to the shortstop, but earned the RBI as Hopkins scored from third.
NDMU would eventually fall to Cairn in game two, 7-2.
At the plate, Lopez and Kastner led the team with two hits apiece.
In her second appearance in the circle for the Gators, Carunungan notched four strikeouts, while Bronushas finished with one.
WHAT'S NEXT?
NDMU softball is on the road next week. On Wednesday, they face Gallaudet University in their second meeting. On Saturday, the travel to Cedar Crest College in their second CSAC game of the season.
