Sophomore
Isabelle DeChiaro connected on the first home run of her collegiate career as Siena Softball dropped a pair of contests in day two of the Madeira Beach Invitational II in Madeira Beach, Florida Saturday. The Saints fell, 14-3, to Middle Tennessee State a late-morning affair, before finishing on the losing end of a 7-1 decision to Detroit Mercy to close out the day's competition.
Facing off against the Blue Raiders for just the second time in program history, the teams kept each other at arm's length early on, entering the fourth inning tied with the score tied at two. Junior
Patricia Kalesse got the Saints on the board after
Sabrina Vargas was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first inning, while
Madysen Cossack scored from second the following frame off the first RBI double of Vargas' career in Green and Gold.
Middle Tennessee then broke away over the next two innings, plating five runs from a single, two doubles and a two-run homer to deep center field. The Saints' lone retaliation in the contest came in the sixth, when DeChiaro went long to right field. MTSU concluded the affair by putting up seven insurance runs in the final inning, taking advantage of three wild pitches and putting together two more RBI doubles and an RBI single.
Fresh off surpassing the 200-strikeout milestone in her career in Friday's season-opener, junior
Maddie McMahon (1-1) took the loss in four innings of work, recording a strikeout and walking five batters. Freshmen pitchers
Sarah Dowalo and
Yamila Evans each spent one and one-third innings in the circle in relief, while
Brooke Hughes finished out the ballgame. The Blue Radiers' Kailey Ahlstrom (1-2) spent the entirety of the contest in the circle, walking one and striking out six in the process.
The team would then match up with the Titans for the first time since 2001 later in the afternoon, surrendering an early lead that they could not overcome. A pair of RBI singles, an RBI double, a fielder's choice and an error at second base immediately allowed Detroit Mercy to pull out to a 7-0 lead during the game's opening frame. Having to work from behind early on, Siena got on the board in the fourth inning, with junior
Kelly Rasulo doubling down the left field line to plate DeChiaro for the second time of the day. The Saints threatened with the bases loaded and only one out in the bottom of the sixth, but ultimately could not convert.
Hughes (0-2) got the nod inside the circle for the Saints in the second game, retiring a career-high six batters via the strikeout and walking five in a complete game loss. The Titans' Ashley Mauser (2-3) also went all seven innings in the win, walking two and matching Hughes in K's. Siena falls to 0-2 all-time against MTSU and 1-2 against Detroit Mercy.
The Saints close out opening weekend competition at the Madeira Beach Invitational II Sunday afternoon, when they take on the Ospreys of North Florida at 2:00 p.m., marking just the second head-to-head matchup between the two.