Briganti Hits First Career Home Run; Cooper Also Goes Yard For WC

CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Visiting #2 Salisbury took both ends of a non-conference softball doubleheader against #T23 Washington College on Thursday afternoon at Washington College Softball Field.  The Sea Gulls took game one by a 19-1 score and took the second contest by a 9-3 count. 

In game one, Salisbury (17-1) scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the third inning to take the lead for good at 2-0 as both runs scored with two outs.  Kim Dorsey doubled to right-center and drove in Rachel Spadin for the game's first run and Dorsey would score on a Paige Knussman single down the left field line to give the Sea Gulls a 2-0 lead.  With one away in the top of the fourth, Molly Gigioli came home on a Molly Simpson two-bagger to right-center to put Salisbury ahead 3-0.

The Sea Gulls scored four times in the top of the fifth, once in the top half of the sixth and put an 11 spot on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh, while the Shorewomen got their lone run in the bottom of the sixth when with two outs, junior shortstop Suzanne Patinella (Fallston, Md./Maryvale Prep) singled to right-center to knock in senior catcher Kylie Nottingham (Ocean City, Md./Stephen Decatur). 

For Salisbury in game one, Knussman went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Dorsey went 2-for-4 with five runs scored, a home run and four RBI.  Rebecca Hoey was 3-for-5 with two RBI and Simpson was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs batted in.  Harley Hill had two hits and two runs and Angelia McDowell had two hits as the team pounded out 20 hits.  In the circle, Rachel Johnson got the win to go to 9-0 as she went the entire way.  She struck out 11, walked none, scattered six hits and gave up one unearned run. 

For Washington (12-4), junior pitcher/designated player Kristin Cooper (Georgetown, Del./Sussex Central) took the loss and drops to 5-2.  Sophomore outfielder Clare Hofstedt (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) had two hits for WC.

In game two, Knussman homered to left with two away in the top of the first to take a 2-0 which also scored Hill.  The Sea Gulls made it 3-0 in the top of the second with one away when Simpson slammed a one-out home run to right-center.

The Shorewomen got onto the board in the bottom half of the second when Cooper launched her first home run of the season to left-center to cut the lead to 3-1 with two outs.  For Cooper, it was her 13th career home run and she is now tied for second all-time at Washington for longballs, tying Diane Green '06. 

Salisbury regained its three-run lead at 4-1 in the top of the third with one out when Angela Malgieri singled through the right side to score Knussman.

However the Shorewomen scored two in the bottom of the third inning.  Sophomore centerfielder Paige Briganti (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) hit her first career home run to trim the deficit to 4-2 leading off the frame.  Her homer hit the top of the fence and bounced over.  Three batters later, senior Lauren Dockrill (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) singled up the middle to drive in freshman Kerri Estep (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) to cut the lead to 4-3 with nobody out.  Washington loaded the bases with two outs, but Salisbury summoned Johnson into pitch to face senior Hilary Rosenberg (Sweetwater, N.J./Oakcrest) and Johnson struck out Rosenberg to end the threat.

Salisbury would score four times with two outs in the top of the fourth to take an 8-3 lead, stringing together four straight hits to grab a five-run cushion and tacked on another run two innings later to make it 9-3.

Knussman went 3-for-4 with four RBI and four runs scored for Salisbury in game two and went 7-for-9 in the twinbill.  Katie Sebbane and Simpson went 3-for-4 each, Hill went 2-for-4 with two runs and Dorsey had a pair of hits.  The Sea Gulls had 16 hits in the second contest.  In the circle, Johnson got the win in relief to move to 10-0 as she tossed 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.  She allowed only two hits, walked one and fanned five.

Hofstedt had two hits for Washington in game two as the team had seven.  In the circle, sophomore pitcher Sydnee Schorr (Easton, Md./Easton) took the loss and falls to 4-2. 

Washington is slated to return to Centennial Conference action on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Muhlenberg.