Josh Falcone – General Assignment Reporter
The Southern Connecticut State University softball team finished off their 2014 season with a three game sweep of American International College.
In the first game of a doubleheader last Friday the Owls shutout the Yellow Jackets in six innings, 8-0.
In the first inning senior infielder Kaley Marden singled in the first run of the game. Senior outfielder Julie Muscarella added another run in the first with a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed junior infielder Nicole Buch to cross the plate.
The Owls continued to score in the second inning when freshman infielder Giuliana D’Arcangelo hit a RBI double to left field that scored freshman catcher Danielle Piazza, and moved junior outfielder Sarah Koerner to third. Buch then singled up the middle sending Koerner and D’Arcangelo home. With the solid play by the owls, the score was 5-0 after two innings.
Marden had another RBI in the fourth inning when she hit a double to left field, scoring D’Arcangelo. In the fifth inning freshman outfielder Arianna Tedeschi added another run with a single to left field scoring Piazza. After five the Owls led 7-0.
The Owls final run came in the sixth inning from the bat of freshman infielder Brooke Franco, who pinched hit a walk off sacrifice bunt scoring Muscarella and ending the game in six innings 8-0.
In the second game of the doubleheader the Owls again shutout the Yellow Jackets with 2-0 win.
The Owls scored in the third inning when Muscarella hit a single to shortstop scoring D’Arcangelo.
In the fifth inning Marden was able to reach first on an error by the Yellow Jackets right fielder, and scored D’Arcangelo.
In the third game of the series on Saturday afternoon, Southern shutout AIC yet again winning the game, 9-0.
The Owls strong play at the plate carried over from Friday. In the second inning with the bases loaded, freshman infielder Jaime Conklin hit a single down the left field line scoring Marden. Koerner then hit a flare to left centerfield scoring Muscarella, and making the score 2-0.
The strong inning continued when D’Arcangelo blasted a three run double to deep left field. She scored when Buch singled and AIC’s shortstop misplayed the ball this made the score 6-0 after two innings.
In the fourth inning the Owls scored three more runs. The first run of the inning came on an AIC error on a fielders’ choice by D’Arcangelo that scored Conklin. The next two runs came off a single by Buch to center field, which scored Koerner, and a throwing error by the Yellow Jackets center fielder allowed D’Arcangelo to score. The Owls won 9-0 in five innings.
The Owls winning pitcher sophomore Yesenia Evaristo threw five shutout innings and only allowed two hits.
Saturday’s game also saw the Owls honor the team’s two senior members Marden and Muscarella in their final regular season home game.
After taking the last three games against the Yellow Jackets the Owls finished the season with a winning record of 19-18. This included winning eight games in a row.