Cougars Sweep Elms in Two

THE BASICS

-Score Game 1: Clark University 4, Elms College 4

-Score Game 2: Clark University 9, Elms College 0

-Records: Clark (2-0), Elms (0-2)

-Location: Fort Myers, Fla. (Century Link Sports Complex)

-The Lead: The Clark University softball team opened the 2019 season with a pair of wins over the Blazers of Elms College in Fort Myers, Fla. on Saturday, March 2nd. The day was highlighted by a seventh-inning walk-off victory when sophomore JC Urella closed the game with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the inning to give Clark the final 4-2 advantage. The Cougars shutout the Blazers in the second game, 9-0 in six innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1: Clark 4, Elms 2

-Clark took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when first year Francesca Cirone (Franklin Square, N.Y.) ripped an RBI single that scored junior Christina Kopacz (North Grosvenordale, Conn.) from third.

-The Blazers took over the lead in the top of the fifth inning when junior Katelyn Sylvia (Southwick, Mass.) sent first year Sarah Roussis (East Canaan, Conn.) and senior Jeszy McGuire (Brimfield, Mass.) across home plate with a two RBI single (2-1).

-The Cougars tied the game at 2-2 when sophomore JC Urella (North Grafton, Mass.) tripled to score senior Olivia Barskdale (Fort Washington, Md.).

-Urella helped Clark walk-off in the bottom of the seventh inning when she doubled to score Kopacz and Barksdale for the final 4-2 victory.

-Urella led the Cougars at the plate with three hits and three RBIs.  Cirone added two hits and an RBI while Kopacz finished with a pair of hits and runs scored.

-Sylvia led the Blazers with two hits and two RBIs in the setback.

-Senior Taylor Erickson (Natick, Mass.) pitched the opening four innings for Clark. She allowed just one hit and struck out two batters. Sophomore Alexis Redish (Howell, N.J.) came in to pitch the final three innings and added a strikeout and a tally in the win column as the Cougars came back to take the victory with her on the mound.

-Senior Lisa Lusardi (Enfield, Conn.) falls to 0-1 on the season as she pitched six innings, allowed 10 hits, four earned runs, and struck out seven batters.

Game 2: Clark 9, Elms 0

-Clark racked up three runs in the top of the first including a two RBI double from Cirone to kick things off. Freshman Jessica Martin (Winthrop, Mass.) added an RBI to extend Clark's lead to 3-0 after one.

-An unearned run for Clark in the second when sophomore Isabella DiOrio (Lincoln, R.I.) crossed home, and two more runs in the third on RBIs from first year Kylie McCabe (Rumson, N.J.) and Kopacz put Clark up 6-0 heading into the fourth innings.

-The Cougars added three more runs in the sixth with RBIs from Kopacz, Martin, and freshman Kaylee Gibson (Northfield, Mass.).

-Martin led the Cougars with three hits and two RBIs while Kopacz and Cirone finished with two hits and two RBIs each.

-Sylvia, McGuire, and Tea Sullivan (Dracut, Mass.) all finished with hits for Elms.

-DiOrio went all six innings for Clark. She allowed just three hits, struck out two batters, and did not allow a run to score.

-Senior Reanna Tumel (Stafford, Conn.) falls to 0-1 on the season as she pitched the opening two innings and allowed three earned runs and four hits.