WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Eastern Connecticut State University sophomore Samantha Valentine (Ridge, NY) pitched a complete-game seven-hitter but No. 12 Kean University scored twice in the third inning on consecutive two-out singles in a 2-0 victory Tuesday afternoon at DiamondPlex.
In Eastern's (4-2) first game Tuesday morning, unranked SUNY Cortland (2-5) scored six runs in its first two at-bats and went on to a 9-1, five-inning victory.
Valentine (2-1) fanned one and walked two and matched Kean (4-2) senior righty Courtney Yard, both tossing complete games. Yard scattered six hits and fanned 11 with four walks.
Cleanup hitter Emily Bissonnette and No. 5 hitter Kayla Parker contributed back-to-back two-out RBI singles to center – their only hits of the game – to lift the Cougars.
For Cortland, senior shortstop Erin Wolstenholme was 3-for-3 with three runs, junior centerfielder Jamie Bucci 2-for-3 with two runs, and junior first baseman Carrie Stoddard drove in two runs,
Trailing 6-0, the Warriors scored their run against complete-game winner Sarah Salamone in the third. Junior catcher Taylor Smyth (Meriden) had a leadoff single and later scored from third on a throwing error while junior shortstop Alyssa Hancock (Waterford) was stealing second.
Batting leadoff, Hancock had four of Eastern's 12 hits on the afternoon, lifting her season average to .476 (10-for-21). She also walked, doubled and stole two bases. Eastern's 2-3-4 hitters were 1-for-16 on the day.
The games were the first of the year against quality competition for Eastern, which had opened its Florida trip with a pair of wins both Saturday and Monday against unranked opponents.
Thursday at DiamondPlex, Eastern meets Ramapo College at 10 a.m. and Centenary College (NJ) at12:15 p.m.
