Kissimmee, FL – Senior righthander
BROOKE POWERS tossed a four-hit shutout in the first game before Muskingum University rallied back in the second game as Montclair State split its opening contests at the Rebel Spring Games on Sunday.
Powers went 3-for-7 on the day with an RBI as the Red Hawks (1-1) blanked Marietta College 2-0. Muskingum would score three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie and again in the eighth sending the Muskies to a 6-5 victory.
Powers (1-0) struck out two and walked to in the season-opening win as she outdueled Jocelyn White, who gave up two runs and eight hits with two punch outs.
Each team would get chances to score. Montclair's came in the bottom of the third as
TINA CIACCIARELLI and
LAUREN BOOTH singled with one out.
NOEL HODGINS added a two-out single to load the bases however White got Powers to line out to second to end the threat. The Pioneers (2-4) mounted their opportunity in the top of the fourth as a pair of two out singles and hit batter loaded the bases with two down. But Powers escaped by fanning the next hitter keeping the game scoreless.
The Red Hawks broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Hodgins led off with a single and stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. After a strikeout,
LIA STAMILE singled for the game's first run with
SAM DICLEMENTI added an RBI single later in the inning for the 2-0 lead.
Powers allowed a one-out single in the seventh but retired the next two hitters for her fourth career shutout. Hodgins and Powers each went 2-for-3 for Montclair.
In the Muskingum game, Montclair fell behind 2-0 before erupting for five runs in the top of the sixth.
VICTORIA GEHRING put the Red Hawks on the board with an RBI triple and DiClementi's single through the right side tied the game at 2-2. An error allowed DiClementi to score with the go-ahead run and with Hodgins and Powers added RBIs for a 5-2 MSU lead.
But Muskingum would erase that deficit in the bottom of the seventh on one swing of the bat by Jessica Matthews, whose three-run homer tied the game at 5-5. After MSU failed to score in the top of the eighth, the Muskies plated the winning run on an RBI single by Samantha Skuce with one out.
Dakota DeAmicis (1-0) got the win in relief allowing two unearned runs and two hits in three innings. Booth (0-1) took the loss. Powers and Gehring had three hits apiece for MSU which had nine in the game.
Montclair State returns to action on Monday, March 7 with two more contests at the Rebel Spring Games. MSU takes on Baldwin Wallace at 1:30 pm followed by a 3:45 game with Bridgewater College.
