Softball opens season with a pair of wins down in South Carolina

(Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) The Rivier University Softball team kicked off their 2015 season in style this morning as they swept the day's double-header with wins over La Roche College and SUNY-Canton.

Game One: Rivier University 7, La Roche College 4 (Final)

Junior Taylor Miller (Haverhill, Mass.) was brilliant on the mound as she spun five innings allowing just two runs for the first win of the season.

The team was spring boarded by a pair of big innings in the middle of the game. The Raiders were able to take the lead in the home half of the third inning as they crossed the plate four times. Freshman Emily Knoops (Tewksbury, Mass.) was scored the first Raider run of the year when sophomore Destiny Jordan (Lawrence, Mass.) was able to reach on an error. Freshman Hailey Reed (Nashua, N.H.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for her first career RBI and classmate Jordan Parece (Pelham, N.H.) was able to plate another run as she reached on an error. Junior Kathryn Mostone (Pelham, N.H.) would then laced a RBI single to plate sophomore Nicole Scotti (Concord, N.H.) to account for all four runs in the inning.

The offense remained hot in the fourth as both sophomore Shaylyn Freitas (Pelham, N.H.) would record a RBI single and Scotti had a RBI groundout. The third Raider run was scored on an error by La Roche.

Parece would make her debut inside the circle as she tossed the final two innings for Rivier.

Freitas would finish the game going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

Game Two: Rivier University 6, SUNY-Canton 3 (Final)

A four run sixth inning propelled the Raiders into the win column in game two as they went on to defeat the State University of New York (SUNY) at Canton, 6-3 in the day's final contest.

Junior Sam Verney (Goffstown, N.H.) had a huge 2 RBI single and freshman Tori Dugan (Norwalk, Conn.) added a RBI single of her own in the explosive sixth frame. The Raiders were able to capitalize on several SUNY miscues in the inning as all four runs were unearned.

Junior Jess Shanahan (Merrimack, N.H.) started the game inside the circle and dazzled in her Raider debut but classmate Libby Sammon (Rockland, Mass.) vultchered the win as she tossed three innings of relief.

Both Dugan and Reed would go 2-for-4 for the Raiders while freshman Mackenzie Sowerbutts (Lunenburg, Mass.) notched her first collegiate hit in the contest.

Rivier will return to action tomorrow as they take on Hilbert College and Medaille College down here in South Carolina.