Picks Up Century Victory Over Allegheny; Team Holds Off Late Roanoke Rally

SALEM, Va. – Head softball coach Lacey Lister chalked up her 100th career victory in the team's 12-3 win over Allegheny in the first game this morning in Salem, Va.  In the afternoon, Washington College completed the 4-for-4 weekend sweep by holding off a late comeback by host Roanoke to record a 6-4 victory on Sunday afternoon.  The Shorewomen are 4-0 on the season and it is the second straight year the team has won their first four contests.

Lister, the program's leader in victories for a softball coach, has now chalked up 101 wins since becoming the team's head coach for the 2009 season.

In the first game against Allegheny (0-3), the Shorewomen scored three quick runs in the top of the first inning to take control of the game.  Junior Suzanne Patinella (Fallston, Md./Maryvale Prep) plated senior Kylie Nottingham (Ocean City, Md./Stephen Decatur) to make it 1-0 and on the play, senior Lauren Dockrill (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) came home on an error by the Gators to make it 2-0.  Patinella would come home on a single by junior Kristin Cooper (Georgetown, Del./Sussex Central) to cap the three-run outburst.

Dockrill would extend Washington's lead to 5-0 in the top of the second on a double to score freshman Caitlyn Kirby (Glen Burnie, Md./Glen Burnie) and Nottingham with two outs.  All five of Washington's runs in the first two frames came with two outs.

The Shorewomen scored two more times in the top of the fourth to make it 7-0.  With one out, sophomore Sadie Robertson (Cape May Court House, N.J./Middle Township) scored on a wild pitch and Nottingham came around to score on another Dockrill double to cap the scoring.  The Gators got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Katrina George launched a two-run home run to cut the lead to 7-2 with one away.

Allegheny cut it to 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth on a one out home run by Hailey Marthaler, but Washington scored three times in the top of the sixth and twice in the top of the seventh to end any comeback hopes for the Gators and Lister picked up her milestone victory.

Dockrill was 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored and Cooper went a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI in the win as Washington had 16 hits in the win.  The four hits for Cooper is a career-high for the junior.  Nottingham scored three times, senior Claire Mattox (Arlington, Va./Potomac School) notched two hits and junior Kelsey Graham (Dunkirk, Md./Northern) plated a pair of runs.  In the circle, Cooper went the entire way to pick up her second win of the season as she struck out 10 batters, the fourth time she has struck out 10 or more batters in a game.  She gave up six hits, three runs and did not walk a batter.

Halea Hayden went 3-for-3 with a run scored for the Gators, while George drove in a pair for Allegheny.  In the circle, Hannah Olenik took the loss to fall to 0-1 as she last just 1 2/3 innings.

Against host Roanoke (4-6), the Shorewomen were the home team on the scoreboard despite being the visiting squad.  Nottingham put Washington ahead 1-0 in the last of the first with a one-out single to score sophomore Paige Briganti (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park).  The Maroons tied the game in the top of the second when Rachel Guilliams worked out a bases loaded walk to force in Kelly Higbie.  The Shorewomen recaptured the lead in the bottom half of the third inning on a two-out base hit by Graham that chased home Nottingham. 

Washington netted four runs in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of two-run hits with two away.  Briganti singled to center to score Graham and sophomore Clare Hofstedt (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) to make it 4-1 and the next batter, Kirby doubled in Mattox and Briganti to give the Shorewomen a five-run lead at 6-1.

Roanoke would not go quietly though in its last at-bat in the top of the seventh as they scored three times, taking advantage of a one-out error by the Shorewomen.  With one out, Katie Romano doubled home both Stephanie Clark and Higbie to cut the lead to 6-3.  The Maroons trimmed the lead to 6-4 with two outs on a Guilliams single that plated Romano.  Ellen Best, the next hitter, represented the go ahead run for Roanoke at the plate, but sophomore pitcher Sydnee Schorr (Easton, Md./Easton) struck out Best swinging to end the comeback and the game.

Hofstedt, Murphy and Mattox all had two hits in the victory as Washington churned out 11 hits, while Briganti and Kirby each drove in a pair.  Briganti also scored two runs for the Shorewomen.  In the circle, Schorr got her first win with the Shorewomen as she went the entire way with seven strikeouts.  She gave up 10 hits, four runs, one earned and walked three Maroons. 

Guilliams was 2-for-3 with two RBI for Roanoke, while Jenna Pendleton went 2-for-3 for the hosts.  Romano drove in two teammates, while Higbie scored twice.  In the circle, Stephanie Clark took the loss and falls to 2-2.  She gave up all six runs, and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

The Shorewomen are scheduled to open at home on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. against Eastern Shore rival #3 Salisbury.