SOFTBALL CLINCHES ECC TOURNAMENT BERTH WITH SWEEP OF BRIDGEPORT; 4-3, 9-4

Box Score vs. Bridgeport (Game One) - April 24, 2009

Box Score vs. Bridgeport (Game Two) - April 24, 2009

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Apr. 24, 2009) – Freshman first baseman Carla Campagna (Floral Park, N.Y.) totaled seven RBI in two games on Friday to propel the Molloy College softball team to its first East Coast Conference Tournament berth following a clean sweep of the University of Bridgeport by scores of 4-3 and 9-4 at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Conn. This marks the first appearance in post-season play for the Lions in six seasons when they faced Dowling College and Adelphi University in 2003.

Game One – Molloy 4, Bridgeport 3 – 8 Innings
Down 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning, Campagna hit a three-run homer with no out. Senior outfielder Michelle Walsh (Bellerose, N.Y.) and junior catcher Tiffany D’Alessandro (Wantagh, N.Y.) came home to give MC a 3-1 lead. The Purple Knights (11-24, 4-10 ECC) responded with a run in their half to tie the match-up at 3-all. Sophomore outfielder Nicole Steiner (Edison, N.J.) got an RBI double to account for the run-scoring play.

Campagna added her second home run of the game in Top-8 for the eventual game-winner. Bridgeport kicked things off in the bottom of the third when senior infielder Amanda Wentz (Baker City, Ore.) slapped a double for a ribbie. Senior outfielder Hannah Larson (Weaverville, Calif.) handed the Purple Knights a 2-0 lead in their favor with a one-out solo blast when the Lions’ (19-23, 9-7 ECC) outfield ran out of real estate.

Freshman pitcher Allison Ryan (Seaford, N.Y.) improved her mark to 11-10 after hurling 8.0 innings of eight-hit, three-run, two-walk ball. She also sat down a game-high seven batters in the process. Freshman pitcher Meggie Blozzon (Monroe, Conn.) took the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run for Molloy.

Game Two – Molloy 9, Bridgeport 4
During the second contest, the Lions jumped out of the gate quickly with a three-run effort in the top of the first inning. Campagna earned her third bomb of the day – a three-run round-tripper. However, the Purple Knights’ offense came back with a four-spot in Bottom-1. It was the deep bomb again as sophomore outfielder Katie Horton (Fresno, Calif.) ripped a grand slam with none away in the stanza.

Molloy grabbed the advantage back with two runs in the top of the second to take a 5-4 lead. D’Alessandro hit the two-out, one-on offering from Blozzon beyond the wall. The Lions contributed a good amount of insurance during Top-7 with a four-run performance.

Sophomore catcher Jennifer Dwyer (Kings Park, N.Y.) posted a two-run single in a pinch-hit plate appearance. Senior shortstop Nicole Losito (Howard Beach, N.Y.) and freshman third baseman Josette Cavallaro (North Babylon, N.Y.) batted respective RBI base knocks.

Sophomore pitcher Lauren Urbont (Long Beach, N.Y.) recorded the win after tossing a complete game. She yielded six hits, four runs (three earned) and three walks, while fanning two. Blozzon was saddled with her second-straight loss for UB. She pitched 6.1 innings of 11-hit, nine-run, four-strikeout, three-walk ball.

Head Coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke and her squad return to the field this Sunday when Molloy hosts ECC foe New York Institute of Technology in its regular-season and home finale at Lions’ Field in Rockville Centre, N.Y. First pitch for Game One is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. If you are unable to make it to the game, you can follow all of the progress via Live Stats at http://livestats.prestosports.com/molloy.