BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – The Felician College softball team posted a six-run inning in each game to win both ends of its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader with host Concordia (N.Y.) College, 6-4 and 10-7, on Thursday afternoon at Clipper Field. Felician was the designated home team by the conference schedule, and batted last in both games.
Felician senior third baseman Taylor Parker (Surrey, British Columbia) combined to go 4 for 5 at the plate, plus two walks. She drove in five runs in the twinbill.
With the sweep, combined with other conference results, Felician (17-18, 13-9 CACC) moved up to fifth place in the CACC. Just three games separate fifth from ninth in the standings, with Felician having four to play. The top eight teams at season's end will qualify for the league playoffs.
The Golden Falcons scored all six of their Game 1 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Felician loaded the bases with no one out on two walks and a single. Parker put the Golden Falcons on the scoreboard with a two-run single, and Mercedes Montanez (Vista, Calif.) followed with a two-run double. One out later, Amanda Lopez (Riverbank, Calif.) tripled home Montanez, and Jeannette Roldan (Hesperia, Calif.) capped the rally with a run-scoring groundout.
Concordia junior pitcher Hannah Rubasky (Nanticoke, Pa.) (3-10) allowed the Golden Falcons only one hit for the duration of the game, and the Clippers ended up with a 12-6 hit advantage. Concordia, however, left 10 runners on base.
Felician freshman right-hander Ashley Owens (Lockport, N.Y.) (8-9) weaved her way into and out of trouble throughout the game. She surrendered a two-run single to Sarah Ross (Dunmore, Pa.) in the third inning and a two-run home run to Carly Mertens (Freeport, N.Y.) in the sixth. With two on and two out in the seventh, Owens induced a pop-up to secure the victory. She yielded two earned runs, struck out four batters, and walked one.
Mertens finished with two doubles and a home run and Brittany Lampert (Shelton, Conn.) was 3 for 4 for the Clippers (8-20, 7-13).
Felician trailed, 6-2 and 7-4 in Game 2 before exploding for six runs in the fifth inning. Once again, the Golden Falcons loaded the bases with no one out. Each runner moved up one bag on a single by Zharde Sellona (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) and did the same on an Aimee Lopez (Riverbank, Calif.) safety. With two outs, Parker tied the game with an RBI single, and Montanez drove in two runs with a double. An RBI single by Jackie Dueñas (Riverside, Calif.) completed the inning's scoring.
The rally made a winner out of freshman righty Kaila Gerber (Vincentown, N.J.) (6-3). After entering and giving up a run in the fifth, Gerber struck out the side in the sixth inning before pitching a perfect seventh.
Mertens doubled and hit a three-run homer for the Clippers. Parker (3 RBI), Duenas and Sellona had three hits each in Felician's 15-hit attack.
Felician travels to sixth-place Holy Family University for a noon doubleheader on Saturday.
