Softball: Rivier Softball opens season with twin-bill in Fort Myers, Fla.

(Fort Myers, Fla.) The Rivier University Softball team began their 2017 season this morning with a pair of games against Kenyon College and Dominican University (Ill.) inside the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla. The Raiders, making their first appearance on a field this spring, were unable to come away with a win as they dropped both contests in five innings – 10-2 to Kenyon and 20-7 to Dominican.

Game One: Kenyon College 10, Rivier University 2 (Final – 5 innings)

The final score does not reflect how the Raiders came out in game one as they allowed five runs in the home half of the 5th to push the score to a 10-5 final.

Freshman Kendall Stanton (Rochester, N.H.) received the opening game start from Head Coach Mike Holloran and pitched well for her first collegiate appearance. The right-hander allowed five runs on ten hits in 3.1 innings of work while classmate Taylor Rowsell (Chelmsford, Mass.) spun the final 1.1 giving up the final five runs (three earned) on five hits.

Sophomore Jess Silva (Tewksbury, Mass.) went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate and senior Shaylyn Freitas (Pelham, N.H.) smacked a two-run double in the fifth to account for the Raider offense. Senior Jessica Cote (Nashua, N.H.) and sophomore Mikayla Ramsdell (Salem, N.H.) also recorded hits for Rivier.

Kenyon's 15-hit attack was guided by Amanda Ogata's 3-for-4, 4 RBI morning at the dish. Amanda Coyle went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Madi Maldonado was 3-for-3 out of the leadoff spot in the order. Inside the circle, Austen Whibley was credited with the complete game (five innings) as she allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out six.

Game Two: Dominican University 20, Rivier University 7 (Final)

The second game saw Dominican University jump out to a quick 3-0 in the first inning before putting the game away with seven in the fourth on their way to a 20-7 win over Rivier. The Raiders did put together a pair of innings in which they scored multiple runs as they plated four in the third to make it an 8-4 game.

With a run already across on a Frietas RBI single, freshman Tayla LeGrand (Tewksbury, Mass.) cleared the bases with a three-RBI double into the gap to cut the Stats lead in half at 8-4. LeGrand finished the game going 1-for-2 with the three RBI and Freitas went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Freshman Kasey Smith (Hopkinton, N.H.) was 1-for-1 from the top of the order and classmate Cali Swormstedt (Laconia, N.H.) also went 1-for-1 with two runs scored in her first colligate start at shortstop.

Freshman Kiandra DeSenna-Mata (Chepachet, R.I.) was the pitcher of record as she suffered the loss after pitching 2.2 innings surrendering eight runs (three earned) on eleven hits while striking out two. Fellow freshman Taylor Thomas (Winthrop, Mass.) made her debut in the circle with 1.1 innings of work before Rowsell tossed the final frame.

Rivier will travel down I-75 tomorrow morning as they have another split twin-bill at the North Collier Regional Sports Complex in Naples, Fla. Game one will be at 9am against Mount Mary University followed by an 11am projected start time against New England Region foe, Eastern Nazarene College.