LEESBURG, FL – Siena Softball (0-2) held late game leads on both contests to kick off the 2022 season, but could not finish out either to pick up its first victory of the season. The Saints dropped identical 3-2 contests to Princeton and Rutgers to begin weekend action at The Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida Friday.
Princeton 3, Siena 2
Taking on the Tigers for the first time since 2011, the Green and Gold got out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame thanks to RBI doubles from junior
Angelina Stile and senior
Ava Fitzmaurice. Competing in its first action in nearly two years, Princeton knotted the game at two with a 2 RBI single in the top of the third, and went on to strand five Siena runners on-base through the sixth.
The Tigers sealed the deal with an RBI bunt single in the top of the seventh, and retired the Saints in order in the bottom of the inning. Princeton's Meghan Harrington (1-0) earned the victory in the circle with two strikeouts in two-and-one-third innings of relief, while Fitzmaurice (0-1) was tagged with the loss, surrendering three runs (two earned) over six innings. The Saints got hits from eight different offensive players, out-hitting Princeton, 8-7, in the loss.
Rutgers 3, Siena 2 (8)
Siena's nightcap featured its first-ever meeting with the Scarlet Knights, with a sacrifice fly getting Rutgers out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Saints would knot the game at one in the second thanks to an RBI double from junior
Shannon Bonewit, which plated classmate
Emma McLaughlin, and took the lead during the next frame off a McLaughlin sacrifice fly that sent in sophomore
Isabella Pardo.
Both teams would battle it out into the bottom of the seventh, when Rutgers loaded up the bases and tied the game back at two with an RBI single, which would force extra innings following a Siena double play. An RBI double in the home half of the eighth closed out the game in favor of the Scarlet Knights, with the Saints leaving a pair of runners on-base in the top of the inning. Ashley Hitchcock (3-3) tossed seven strikeouts in a complete game win in the circle for Rutgers, while junior
Allison Speshyock (0-1) allowed three runs (two earned) while striking out one in the loss for the Saints.
Siena will continue opening weekend action at The Spring Games on Saturday, February 26, with doubleheader action against Ivy League for Cornell set to begin at 1 PM.
