Pacers Establish Record for Wins in a Season in Split with Immaculata
Cook sets single season and career records for triples
Nikki Belles allowed just three hits and struck out eight in Marywood's 5-1 win in Saturday's opening game.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
Scranton, PA – Marywood University women’s softball team set a school record for wins in a season with 25 after taking the opening game of Saturday’s Colonial States Athletic Conference doubleheader with Immaculata University 5-1. The Pacers dropped the second game 5-3 and will be the third seed in the upcoming CSAC playoffs.
In the opener, the Mighty Macs, now 13-17 on the season and12-8 in the CSAC, pushed a run across in the first inning and held that lead until Marywood’s Kim Lope (Clifton, NJ) scored on an error in the home half of the fourth.
The score remained knotted at 1-1 until the bottom of the sixth inning when Marywood scored four runs on three hits, including a two-run double by Jillian Flanagan to give the Pacers a 5-1 lead.
That was all that Marywood starter Nikki Belles (Rome, PA) needed as she pitched all seven innings, allowing just three hits and striking out eight.
The nightcap got off to a promising start for the Pacers as Erika Cook (Wyalusing, PA) opened the game with her 9th triple of the season, breaking Marywood’s single-season record for three-baggers formerly held by Marywood Hall of Famer Renee Jourdanais. The triple was also the 19th of Cook’s career, breaking the career mark previously held by Marywood Hall of Famer Rose (Kuchwara) Jacklinski.
Cook scored on an RBI single by Caitlin Hadzimichalis (Harmony, NJ), who would come around to score on an Ashley Dommes (Scranton, PA) double. Dommes would later score on a wild pitch, giving Marywood an early 3-0 lead.
However, that would be the only offense the Pacers could muster, and the Mighty Macs clawed to within a run a 3-2 in the third inning as the visitors got runs on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.
The following inning, Immaculata scored three runs on three hits and one error to take a 5-3 lead and would hold on for the win behind Val Rutt-Guerriere’s complete game performance on the mound.
Marywood’s Mallory Gable (Hughestown, PA) took the loss despite striking out five batters in seven innings of work.
The Pacers, now 25-10 overall and16-6 in conference play, will close out their regular season on Monday evening when they take on the University of Scranton in a non-conference doubleheader scheduled to begin 6:00 p.m. in Tripp Park.