MELBOURNE, Fla. – Looking to continue their momentum from a game two victory over Felician University yesterday, Post University Softball was back at it bright and early to take on Molloy University in a battle of Northeast teams down in Florida. Seven unanswered runs by the Lions in the middle innings of the affair would ultimately sink the Eagles' early 3-0 lead, handing them their sixth loss in seven games, 9-3, before Post prepares for an afternoon matchup with West Chester University.
THE BASICS
Post University 3, Molloy University 9
Post University (1-6)
Molloy University (2-9)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Freshman left-hander
Devin Barnett got her second career start for Post, going up against junior right-hander Natalie Moussa in a dual that saw both teams in search of their second victory of the young season. Barnett would run into some early trouble in the first with runners on second and third with two out before coming back to strike out freshman infielder Mariah Cepeda to escape the jam.
Moussa would also escape trouble in the first but run into more issues in the second inning which led to three runs for Post. A leadoff walk to graduate utility player
Juliana Rigano along with a single and stolen base from senior outfielder
Julia Maida put the Eagles in prime scoring position with only one out. Reaching on a fielder's choice, senior outfielder
Carli Perruso scored the game's first run and then saw Maida score on a double steal. With one of her two hits in the affair, senior shortstop
Caitlin DeAngelis drove in Perruso with two outs as Post left the second inning with a 3-0 edge.
But seven unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings against Barnett as well as junior right-hander
Alyssa Hughes would flip things in Molloy's favor, leading them to the win. Five singles and a walk for six of the first seven batters in the fourth drove home the game-tying runs before Moussa helped her team out with a go-ahead two-out two-run single that made it 5-3. The Lions pushed two more across on Barnett via a single and fielding error in the fifth before her day would end after allowing seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits with three walks and a strikeout.
Junior right-hander
Alyssa Hughes made an appearance for the second straight game, pitching the final three innings in which she allowed two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Those two runs would come on an RBI single from freshman infielder Kiara Gaghan and sacrifice fly by Cepeda.
Freshman right-hander Stevie Dabbadie, who relieved Moussa in the third inning, would hold Post in check for 3 2/3 innings in which she allowed just three baserunners via one hit and two walks while striking out three. Senior right-hander Brianna Macias closed out the final inning for the Lions, retiring the Eagles in 1-2-3 fashion to secure the 9-3 win for Molloy.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Caitlin DeAngelis has reached base safely in seven consecutive games to start the season, finishing 2-of-4 with an RBI
- Steph Conrade led Molloy with a 4-for-5 game, knocking in two runs and scoring twice herself in the win
- For only the second time this season and second straight game, Post University scored the first run of the game – The Eagles are 0-5 when allowing the first run and 1-1 when scoring the game's first run, both times they have scored first they have scored three runs
- This was the first meeting between Post University and Molloy University since the 2007 season – The Eagles have lost three straight matchups against the Lions in the all-time series
WHO'S NEXT
Post University gets ready to face off against West Chester University at 2:30 PM this afternoon for their second meeting in three years. In the all-time series versus the Golden Rams, Post holds a 1-3 record having lost the last matchup 5-2 after winning 5-2 back in 2011 against them.
