TUCSON, Ariz. – Seattle University softball rolled to a 9-5 win over New Mexico Sunday morning. The Redhawks scored two runs in four different innings in their final game at the Hillenbrand Invitational, hosted by the University of Arizona.
Ally Choate continued her terrific weekend with a double in the first inning that brought in Olivia Viggiano for a 1-0 lead. Madison Cathcart singled and then Cherise Silvan hit a sacrifice fly to score Choate and give SU (4-6) early control of the contest.
New Mexico answered with a two-run homer to tie the game in its half of the first.
Carley Nance and Stephanie Merwin both had hits in the second, but the Redhawks couldn't bring them around to score. Merwin threw out a runner looking to advance to second for the first out of the second frame, setting up Shi Smith for an easy inning.
A Choate single and a Bailey Thompson walk put SU in business in the third before UNM wriggled out of the jam. A double and an error allowed the Lobos to find a go-ahead run in the bottom of the frame.
In the fourth, Merwin drew a leadoff walk. Lily Garcia's sacrifice bunt was successful and then Alyson Matriotti singled to move Merwin to third. Matriotti followed with a steal and Viggiano's RBI hit brought in the tying run. Later in the inning, Thompson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, plating a run for a 4-3 advantage.
Smith worked a 1-2-3 fourth to get the Redhawks back to the plate. Nance hit a leadoff single and Merwin notched a base hit of her own that resulted in an SU run as pinch-runner Hannah Sasaki hustled home after a UNM miscue. Kamryn Coleman followed with a sac fly to drive in Merwin for a 6-3 margin.
The Lobos filled the bases in the fifth, but Smith got a swinging strikeout to close the inning.
Seattle U kept at it in the top of the sixth, as Cathcart walked to get a rally going. Thompson was hit by another pitch and Silvan earned a walk to load the bases. Nance hit a sac fly and Merwin reached on an error that plated another run to make it 8-3.
Nance came on in relief for the sixth and picked up a pair of strikeouts as she worked around an error.
Mekenzie Madokoro pinch-hit and singled to center to start the seventh. Taylor DeDen then walked and Thompson claimed a base on balls to load the bases again. Freshman Virginia Nemeth then got aboard on a fielder's choice as Madokoro scored for a 9-3 lead.
UNM scored a pair of runs in the seventh, but Nance handled the rest to end the contest.
Choate, Nance and Merwin each tallied two hits Sunday. Thompson was hit twice and walked once. Eight different Redhawks drove in a run in the game. Smith pitched five innings, striking out four and allowing just one earned run.
SU will compete in the Wildcat Invitational, also hosted by Arizona, next weekend. It has five games scheduled, starting on Thursday, Feb. 25.
Ally Choate continued her terrific weekend with a double in the first inning that brought in Olivia Viggiano for a 1-0 lead. Madison Cathcart singled and then Cherise Silvan hit a sacrifice fly to score Choate and give SU (4-6) early control of the contest.
New Mexico answered with a two-run homer to tie the game in its half of the first.
Carley Nance and Stephanie Merwin both had hits in the second, but the Redhawks couldn't bring them around to score. Merwin threw out a runner looking to advance to second for the first out of the second frame, setting up Shi Smith for an easy inning.
A Choate single and a Bailey Thompson walk put SU in business in the third before UNM wriggled out of the jam. A double and an error allowed the Lobos to find a go-ahead run in the bottom of the frame.
In the fourth, Merwin drew a leadoff walk. Lily Garcia's sacrifice bunt was successful and then Alyson Matriotti singled to move Merwin to third. Matriotti followed with a steal and Viggiano's RBI hit brought in the tying run. Later in the inning, Thompson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, plating a run for a 4-3 advantage.
Smith worked a 1-2-3 fourth to get the Redhawks back to the plate. Nance hit a leadoff single and Merwin notched a base hit of her own that resulted in an SU run as pinch-runner Hannah Sasaki hustled home after a UNM miscue. Kamryn Coleman followed with a sac fly to drive in Merwin for a 6-3 margin.
The Lobos filled the bases in the fifth, but Smith got a swinging strikeout to close the inning.
Seattle U kept at it in the top of the sixth, as Cathcart walked to get a rally going. Thompson was hit by another pitch and Silvan earned a walk to load the bases. Nance hit a sac fly and Merwin reached on an error that plated another run to make it 8-3.
Nance came on in relief for the sixth and picked up a pair of strikeouts as she worked around an error.
Mekenzie Madokoro pinch-hit and singled to center to start the seventh. Taylor DeDen then walked and Thompson claimed a base on balls to load the bases again. Freshman Virginia Nemeth then got aboard on a fielder's choice as Madokoro scored for a 9-3 lead.
UNM scored a pair of runs in the seventh, but Nance handled the rest to end the contest.
Choate, Nance and Merwin each tallied two hits Sunday. Thompson was hit twice and walked once. Eight different Redhawks drove in a run in the game. Smith pitched five innings, striking out four and allowing just one earned run.
SU will compete in the Wildcat Invitational, also hosted by Arizona, next weekend. It has five games scheduled, starting on Thursday, Feb. 25.