LYNDHURST, N.J. – The Felician College softball team amassed 24 base hits in sweeping a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader from visiting Concordia (N.Y.) College, 6-0 and 19-8, on Wednesday afternoon at Matera Field. The twinbill was originally scheduled to be played at Concordia and was relocated due to unplayable field conditions. Therefore, the Clippers batted last in both games.
Felician junior first-baseman Ciera Clark (Granite Bay, Calif./Del Oro) hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning of Game 1. It was ninth round-tripper of the season for Clark, establishing a new Golden Falcon record. Lauren DeGrushe had hit eight in 2009. Clark was also hit by pitches four times on the day, including a Felician-record three in Game 2.
Golden Falcon junior shortstop Aimee Lopez (Riverbank, Calif./Riverbank) went 4 for 8 with four RBI in the doubleheader, including the 100th base hit of her Felician career. She became the 14th member of the school's 100-hit club, including the fifth active player.
Felician junior right-hander Macy Chase (Sacramento, Calif./Bradshaw Christian) pitched a three-hit shutout in Wednesday's opening game. She struck out three batters and walked one, needing only 78 pitches for her second shutout of the season and the fourth of her career. In only one inning, the fifth, did Concordia put multiple runners on base. Chase (5-8) also induced a pair of double plays.
With the help of a pair of triples, the Golden Falcons plated single runs in each of the first two innings. Haylee Williams (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad) blasted a one-out three-bagger in the first and came home on Clark's single. Lopez's double in the second brought home Chelsea DeGuzman (Clermont, Fla./South Lake) following DeGuzman's second-inning triple.
Felician took a 4-0 lead after Clark's homer, and capped the scoring with a pair of runs in the seventh. Junior designated player Taylor Parker (Surrey, British Columbia/Semiahmoo) was 3 for 4 with an RBI and Williams had two hits and scored twice for the Golden Falcons (13-15, 5-8 CACC). Concordia's Victoria Vickerman (Clinton, Conn./Mercy) was 2 for 3, and Clipper pitcher Hannah Rubasky (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke) struck out six hitters in a complete-game effort.
Felician collected 14 hits and added 10 walks and six hit batsmen in posting the third-highest scoring total in program history in the nightcap. The Golden Falcons appeared to have broken the game open with six runs in the top of the fourth inning for a 9-2 lead, but Concordia (2-15, 1-11) answered with six of its own in the home half of the fourth. Felician put together another six-run rally in the fifth, then forced the NCAA eight-run rule with a four-run sixth.
Lopez and Jackie Duenas (Riverside, Calif./Arlington) were each 3 for 4, while Clark, Lopez, and DeGuzman drove in three runs apiece. Parker added two hits to finish 5 for 8 on the day. Senior righty Tori Bradburn (Ridge, Md./Great Mills) (5-5) picked up the win in relief, putting together 2 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Vickerman and Taylor Keefe (Little Meadows, Pa./Northeast Bradford) each had two hits and two RBI for the Clippers. The contest lasted two hours, 21 minutes.
