Softball | 3/17/2017 7:54:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 BLOOMFIELD, N.J. - The Bloomfield College Bears softball team returned home last Friday collecting a program-high nine wins while only acquiring two losses in their annual Spring Training trip to Florida. The group scored 55 runs in 11 games and managed to hold opponents to 18.

The Bears also mercy ruled three teams and came back 2-1 in International Tie Breaker games (started in the 8^th inning). Second-year coach Ashton Corley remarked, "The team played well over the trip, Florida is always a good time to test the limits of the girls and prove to them that their hard work has paid off. We are excited for the snow to melt and get back on the field up North."

In the inaugural game of the 2017 season, the Bears came out strong and fast, winning 8-0 in 4 ½ innings against Iowa Wesleyan College. Senior hurler Kirsten Wilson nearly threw a no-hitter before allowing a bleeding single with one out in the fifth inning. Wilson mowed through the Tigers lineup, striking out 14 of 16 batters.

On the offensive side, the Bears racked up three home-runs by seniors Wilson and Mariah Frazier, and freshmen Delanie Cruz. Frazier led the Bears with a 2-2 effort scoring 2 runs.  Hits were also recorded by newcomers Kiersten Coho and Lauren Nickerson.  BOX SCORE

The second game of the night resulted in another mercy rule through 5 ½ innings.  The Bears scored 11 runs on 14 hits while senior pitcher Stephanie Miller collected her first win of the season against Penn State Hazleton. Miller scattered just three hits over six innings pitched and struck out one.

At the plate, the Bears bats came alive with eight different players recording hits. Seniors Mykayla Moody lead the charge with a 2-3 effort while driving in two runs as well as scoring two herself. Aubrey Orr also had a 2-2 effort with a double, RBI, and a run scored. Cruz remained hot for the night and laced another three hits. BOX SCORE 

The Bears returned to the field Monday and took two from Oakland City University 2-1 and 8-0 after 5 innings.  Miller her second win of the season striking out 11 batters.
Some timely hits and aggressive base running allowed the Bears to push across runs in the third and fourth innings. In the bottom of the third, the Bears put the pressure on with some small ball. Freshmen, Mya Lopez started it off with a one out slap single and advanced to second base on a passed ball. Frazier laid down a beautiful bunt single, placing runners on the corners. Cruz laid down a safety squeeze scoring Lopez and earning an RBI.

In the bottom of the fourth, Nickerson reached first on an error by the first baseman, stolen second the next pitch and then was driven in by an RBI single by Raylene Uribe. 
The second game of the double header was highlighted by junior pitcher, Kiersten Coho, who threw a perfect game through five innings.  She struck out five of 15 batters while also driving three runs and scoring two runs in a 3-3 effort with a double. Paige Lafferty also found her groove at the plate going 2-3 with a double and two runs scored.  Corley commented, "Coho was truly the hero of that game. On the mound she was completely lights out but did it with a calm and confident demeanor, something you really look for in a veteran pitcher."  BOX SCORE 1 BOX SCORE 2

Tuesday was a tough day for the Bears, as they lost 4-3 in nine innings to Shawnee State University (OH) and 6-0 to Lynn University (FL).
In game one, Shawnee caught Bloomfield on their heels by scoring three unearned runs off starter Miller in the first inning. Miller settled down and pitched three more innings until Coho came in to finish the game in the fifth.

Shawnee kept the Bears hitless through the fourth inning until a two-run-homerun by Nickerson. In the fifth, Frazier laced an RBI double and scored Moody from second base tying the game at three. Both teams were kept quiet at the plate through the regular frames.

During the eighth inning, the start of international tie breaker where a runner is placed on second base to start the frame, both teams were held scoreless. In the ninth inning with one out and a runner on third, Shawnee came up clutch with a RBI single up the middle. The Bears had no answer and lost 4-3.

Corley stated, "These are the type of games you like to see early in the season. It answers a lot of questions for the coach, 'Who deals well with pressure? What do we do best?' and it makes prepping for the conference games easier. I was happy with the fight the team showed bouncing back from being down 3-0." BOX SCORE

In game two, the Bears faced a battle-tested Lynn University with Wilson on the mound. The Bears struck first with a RBI infield single by Lopez to score Marisa Naegele, who was pinch running for Moody, in the bottom of the second inning. Bloomfield continued to add pressure in the third when Nickerson smashed a 2 run homer into the swamp to give the Bears a 0-3 lead. Unfortunately, an error and a few walks in the top of the sixth with two outs allowed Lynn to score 5 runs while stringing together a double, single, and another double to put the game out of reach. In the seventh, Lynn added another run with an error, three walks, and wild pitch. Bloomfield had no answer and lost 6-3. BOX SCORE

Wednesday, Bloomfield woke up looking for redemption and won all three ends of a triple header; including a 6-0 romping of Shawnee State, a 3-2 extra-inning win against Reinhardt University, and a 3-1 payback over Lynn.

In game one against Shawnee, the Bears came out swinging scoring two runs in the first inning.  Wilson started it off with a two-out double followed by an RBI double by Nickerson and a RBI single by Lafferty.  In the top of the second, Jamie Cook started it off with a single, followed by Frazier getting hit with a pitch and a walk by Wilson, loading the bases for the hot bat of Nickerson.  The junior sent her third homer in three games over the fence to give the Bears a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Bears threatened the rest of the game with runners on every inning but failed to push another run. Wilson picked up her second win of the season, striking out 14 batters and scattering two hits over the frame.  BOX SCORE

The Bears immediately took the field for game two of the day against NAIA nationally-ranked Reinhardt University. The Bears got off to a quick start as Wilson homered with two outs in the top of the first giving them a 1-0 early lead. Coho escaped two runners in scoring position in the first and both teams remained quiet until the Bears scored again in the top of the fourth.

Wilson, who went 3-3 during the game, led things off with a single through the left side followed by a Lafferty double, putting runners on second and third base. Orr came up clutch with a two-out RBI single to score Wilson and the Bears were up 2-0, a lead they held until the bottom of the sixth.

Reinhardt led off with a homerun off the scoreboard cutting the lead in half. The Bears failed to earn it back in the top of the seventh. Reinhardt capitalized with a leadoff triple and an RBI single to tie it up within through seven innings.

Entering extra innings, Frazier laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Naegele over to third to start off ITB. Nargele later was driven in by Cruz with an RBI double. Reinhardt was held at bay and the Bears went on to win 3-2 in eight innings with Coho earning her second win of the season. BOX SCORE

The Bears were not done just yet and immediately started game three of the day against Lynn University.  Wilson took the mound for the second time that day and pitched a gem against a well-hitting Lynn team, giving up only four hits over the game and striking out five.

The Bears got started in the top of the third with a single by Lopez, who later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Cruz put runners on the corners with a bunt single. With a failed pick-off attempt at third, Lopez got a good jump on a bad throw to break open the game, 1-0.

Lynn had no answer until the bottom of the fourth when they led off the frame with a triple, a walk, stolen base and a sacrifice fly to centerfield to tie it up. The Bears got out of the inning on a 6-3-2 double play.

With the momentum on their side, the Bears added one in the top of the fifth which was started off by a single up the middle by Moody. Pinch runner Ashlee Rivera advanced to second base on a wild pitch, allowing Cruz to drive in Rivera on a two-out double to left-centerfield.

Wilson held the Knights quiet in the bottom of the fifth, holding a 2-1 lead going into the sixth. Wilson singled through the right side to start off the inning; Naegele pinch ran for the ace and advanced to third base on two wild pitches.  Orr then came up and drilled the ball at the shortstop, forcing an error and driving in Naegele for an unearned run.  The Bears finished the game cleanly for the win and ended a 3-0 day. BOX SCORE

"I was extremely pleased with the girls and how they played today," Corley said, "It takes a lot out of a team two lose two late the night before and then come back the next morning early knowing you have three tough games ahead of you. For them to turn around and win those three games back-to-back-to-back speaks a lot of the heart they have. I could not be more proud."

On the final day of the trip, the Bears handled Reinhardt, 4-1, and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) opponent, Chestnut Hill College 4-3 in extras.

"This was a rough day for us, we played 11 tough games in five days and were leaving for the airport directly from the field. There were a lot of distractions and mental fatigue coming into it, I was happy we could squeeze out a few more clutch plays and finish the trip on a high note," Corley commented.

Miller earned her second win of the year, after fighting off the flu the day before, by making the right pitches when the Bears needed them. She scattered seven hits over five innings.  The Bears threatened early in the second were unable to capitalize on a base loaded situation.  In the bottom of the third inning, Reinhardt capitalized on a single, a passed ball and two errors to open a 1-0 lead. 

The Bears were kept quiet until late in the game when Frazier singled with a bunt, stole second and scored on a RBI single by Wilson. Nickerson reached on a fielder's choice and was moved to third by a Lafferty double. Orr then drove both of her teammates in with a 2-RBI double, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into more.

The Beard held the 3-1 lead until the top of the seventh when Alexis Frudenberg worked a two out walk, followed by a single by Frazier and a walk by Wilson, loading the bases for Nickerson. Nickerson reached on an error by the pitcher scoring Freudenberg, extending the lead 4-1. The Bears finished the game by striking out the side, winning 4-1. BOX SCORE

In game two of the afternoon against Chestnut Hill, Coho took the mound to face CACC competition. The game started out as a pitcher's duel against Chestnut Hill's top hurler—no runs were recorded until the top of the sixth when Wilson doubled off the top of the centerfield fence and Nickerson homered the next at bat to put the Bears up 2-0 entering the bottom of the sixth.

A lead-off single followed by a walk let Chestnut Hill back in the game with a two-out single to centerfield. Both teams were held to nothing during the seventh as the Bears prepared to enter the all-too-familiar international tie breaker extra innings. Naegele was placed on second, sacrificed over to third by Jamie Cook, and then scored on a two-run dinger over the left field fence by Frazier, giving the Bears a 4-2 lead enter the bottom of the eighth. Chestnut Hill was able to take advantage of a lead-off walk, putting runners on first and second but could only score one on a single to right field after Coho fanned two batters as the Bears won 4-3 in eight. BOX SCORE

"It was a great trip for us," Corley said. "We played well in a lot of close games and we took care of business in the others—that is what you like to see as a coach. You take two bad innings away and we come back 11-0, but it is a great learning experience for our roster."

Corley continued, "I think our senior leadership has been phenomenal all pre-season and it clearly has shown up during Spring Training. Our younger players on the roster have really stepped up to the challenge and, as a coach, it is exciting when you have a tough time putting a line-up out there because everyone is capable. Coho, Wilson, and Orr all came back from Florida batting .385 or higher, six players are slugging.500 or higher and we have already stole three bases more than we did the entire season last year. Our pitching staff has improved immensely boasting a 1.03 ERA and I think it will help us out down the road. These girls work hard, these girls have fun—that is a good recipe.  I look forward to getting back in the swing of things up North and getting ready for conference play."

The first four home contests have been canceled due to Winter Storm Stella and its disabling snow. The Bears look to continue on the up-and-up Saturday, March 25 when the travel down south to face CACC opponent University of the Sciences of Philadelphia.
 
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- story courtesy of Bloomfield College Softball