Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 7 Salisbury University softball team suffered two narrow defeats at the hand of Christopher Newport University at the SU Softball Field on Tuesday, falling 4-3 and 5-1.
The Sea Gulls (5-3) opened the doubleheader with single runs in the first and second inning. Sophomore Harley Hill opened the bottom of the first with a single to center field before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Lindsay Brown singled through the right side for the 1-0 Salisbury lead.
Junior Hannah Mills scampered home with Salisbury's second run, in the second, when sophomore Molly Gigioli singled to right field.
The Captains came back with three runs in the third off Salisbury starter Erika Brittingham, for a 3-2 lead, but the Gulls would tie things up in the bottom of the fourth as Hill drove home Mills to make it 3-3.
The Captains (5-3) were able to earn the win as Jennifer Falin hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning. Salisbury got the potential tying run on base with a one-out walk by junior Michelle Gravdahl, but she was stranded at first to end the game.
Freshman Rachel Johnson got the start for Salisbury in the second game, allowing a CNU run in the first inning on back-to-back doubles to open the contest before settling into a groove, allowing just one hit over the next five innings.
Salisbury would tie the game in the bottom of the fourth with Mills singling to center field, allowing Gravdahl to score from second base, tying the game at 1-1.
The game would remain deadlocked until the Captains got to Johnson for a run in the top of the sixth, on three hits, taking a 2-1 edge. CNU plated three runs in the top of the seventh to push its advantage to the final, 5-1.
Hill finished the day 4-for-8 and drove in a run while Mills was 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving one run in. Johnson struck out 11 in the second game as she worked the first complete game of her career.
The Sea Gulls will be back in action on Thursday as they host Lynchburg College for a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
