Feb. 24, 2006
Final Stats
The Siena softball team dropped its first two games of the season Friday, falling 7-2 to the University of South Florida and 10-9 to Kent State. The Saints held early leads in both games, but failed to hold on down the stretch.
In the opener, Siena jumped out to a 2-0 lead over host South Florida, scoring in their first two at bats of the season. Jennifer Granato singled home Jenny McNulty who reached on an error to start the scoring. The Saints padded their lead in the second as Stacey Landini doubled to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on an error.
The lead was short lived as the Bulldogs struck for three runs off Saints starter Tara Campbell in the third inning. Samantha Ray and Christie Chpman had run scoring extra basehits to highlight the rally.
USF added four insurance runs the fifth inning to chase Campbell and salt the game away.
Jennifer Griner had two hits to pace Siena's offense. Ray and Laura Wolf had three hits a piece for the victors.
In the nightcap, Siena jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the second. Catcher Andrea Piela delivered the big blow with double that chased home two runs. Landini, who doubled to lead off the inning scored the first run of the game on an error.
Kent State took a 5-3 lead with two runs in the second and three in the third. The Saints tied the game in the fourth on a Granato single that scored two. The Golden Flashes scored three runs in the fifth inning to take the lead back off starter Jamie Piela, but Siena again answered with three in the sixth to know the score at 8-8.
Griner gave the Saints a one run lead in the top of the seventh with an RBI single, but Kent State scored a run in the bottom half to force extra innings. Jennifer Toocheck singled home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth for Kent State.
The Saints will play Indiana in their first game Saturday. The teams will than be seeded and a second game will take place in the afternoon.
