No. 14 Softball Splits in Battle of National Powers

SALISBURY, Md. -- The No. 14-ranked Virginia Wesleyan College softball team won the first game Saturday 5-0 before falling 7-1 to No. 2 Salisbury University in non-conference action Saturday afternoon.

Game 1: 5-0 Virginia Wesleyan Victory

Senior Mary Shipp (1-0) dominated in the circle in the first game against the Sea Gulls, allowing just two hits while striking out three and not walking a batter for the complete-game victory.

The game remained scoreless until the fifth inning when the Marlins touched up Salisbury for a four-spot on the scoreboard. Courtney Bogan led off the frame with a bunt single, stealing second on the next at bat. Kayla Malkos walked in front of Cassetty Howerin who singled to right. The Salisbury defense made a good play though, throwing Bogan out at home. Blake Henderson kept the ball on the infield with runners on the corners as her bunt chased home Malkos for the first run of the game. A pair of errors allowed Howerin to race home for the 2-0 lead. Back-to-back RBI doubles from Jessica Lindsay and Kayla Dost extended the gap to 4-0.

Bogan went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, a run scored, and four stolen bases. Lindsay went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Annah Brittingham and Molly Simpson each had a hit for all of the Salisbury offense.

Game 2: 7-1 Salisbury Victory

The second game started out well for the Marlins as Bogan reached on an error before continuing to disrupt the Salisbury fielders. She moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt, catching the defense off guard to steal third. She came home on an RBI groundout by Howerin.

Kandis Kresinske (0-1) worked around a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning before facing the minimum in the second frame. Salisbury touched up the rookie in the bottom of the third as Kim Dorsey and Leanne Collins singled in front of doubles from Paige Knussman and Brittingham for a 3-1 Salisbury edge. Two more hits and an additional run prompted a call to the bullpen. Following another run scored on an error, Courtney Tate capped off the seven-run frame with a two-run homer to left-center in her only at bat.

Brooke Mizelle (1-0) and Annie Pietanza held the Marlins to just three hits, although the Marlins drew four walks. Collins went 3-for-4 while Knussman and Tate had a pair of RBI each.

Newcomb allowed just two unearned runs in 3 1/3 innings of work out of the bullpen, allowing three hits while issuing a walk. Malkos, Lindsay, and Dost each had a hit for Virginia Wesleyan.

No. 14 Virginia Wesleyan (1-1) hosts N.C. Wesleyan College (0-0) in a non-conference doubleheader Monday at 2 p.m.