COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Back-to-back home runs by sophomores Gabrielle Manto and Samantha Garritano highlighted an 8-1 victory in the opener of the Ursinus College softball team's non-conference split against Immaculata.
The sophomore sluggers connected in a span of just a few pitches in the fourth inning of Game One, and junior Kaitlyn Willis allowed nothing more than a solo homer in dominating the Mighty Macs (12-10) from start to finish. Immaculata bounced back with an 11-3, six-inning triumph in the second half of the double feature.
Freshman Isabella Dewes had three hits and drove in five runs for Ursinus (9-15), which got four hits apiece from Garritano, Manto, junior Rachel Hyman, and freshman Marissa Beebe.
Game 1: Ursinus 8, Immaculata 1
Ursinus capitalized right away on a bout of wildness from Immaculata starter Nicole Kowalski, who walked Dewes on four pitches to open the bottom of the first. Base hits by Manto and Garritano loaded the bases with no outs, and Dewes waltzed home on a balk for the game's first run.
After Manto was called out for interfering on a foul ball to third, a walk and a single by Beebe re-packed the bags for Hyman, who drew another base on balls to force in a second run. Freshman Jennifer Hammons dropped an RBI single down the left-field line to cap a three-run frame that saw nine go to the plate.
Annemarie Bartow provided the Mighty Macs' lone run on a solo shot to left-center in the top of the second, but Ursinus caught the home run bug and went back-to-back in the bottom half. Manto connected on a deep fly to left-center to make it 4-1, and Garritano pulled a towering blast just inside the left-field foul pole and over the fence for her first career round-tripper.
An RBI double by Dewes stretched the lead to 6-1 in the third, and the rookie capped the scoring with a two-run single up the middle in the fifth.
Willis (7-6) went the distance in the circle, scattering four hits and matching a season high with eight strikeouts to just one walk.
Dewes finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run and was one of six Bears to record multi-hit performances. Garritano was 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Manto and Hammons were each 2-for-4 with an RBI; Willis and freshman Renee LeClerc each went 2-for-4 with a run. Freshman Callie Crouse had a base hit and scored two runs, joining Willis with a stolen base.
The Bears touched up Kowalski for 13 hits and eight runs in five innings and did not strike out.
Game 2: Immaculata 11, Ursinus 3 (6)
Despite outhitting the Mighty Macs, 12-10, a trio of errors and a trio of big innings for Immaculata doomed the Bears to a mercy rule loss.
Immaculata sent nine batters to the plate in a four-run first inning and poured on three more in the second on a bases-clearing triple by Michaela Petito – who singled in a run in the first – to storm out to a 7-0 lead.
The Bears chipped away at the large deficit on Dewes' two-out, two-run double to the right-center gap in the bottom of the second. Ursinus tacked on another run in the third, as Garritano singled and moved to third when Beebe smoked a double off the top of the fence in left center. Sophomore Faith Carson's sacrifice fly to right cut the Immaculata lead to 7-3.
The Mighty Macs piled on four more runs in the sixth and secured a victory with a scoreless bottom half.
Beebe was 3-for-3 in the nightcap, while Manto, Garritano, and Hyman all went 2-for-3. Dewes was 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Senior Devan Cinalli induced an inning-ending double play in the top of the seventh and registered her second career hit in the bottom of the inning.
Hammons (2-7) took the loss in Game Two, allowing 11 runs (eight earned) on nine hits with seven walks and five strikeouts.
Up Next
The Bears head to Muhlenberg for a Centennial Conference doubleheader on Tuesday.
