Moynagh tosses both ends of non-conference sweep at Eastern Connecticut

April 8, 2008

WILLIMANTIC, CT- Senior hurler Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) yielded a total of one run on nine hits in 14 innings while recording a pair of complete-game victories as the Wheaton College softball team swept a doubleheader from Eastern Connecticut State University, 2-1 and 3-0 on Tuesday at Spector Field. The Lyons are now 23-7 overall, while the Warriors fell to 14-6.

Moynagh shut down a team that had been averaging 8.1 runs and had scored at least seven runs in six straight contests entering the day. The Warriors had gone 56 consecutive games without being blanked, last suffering a shutout on the final day of the 2006 season. Moynagh improved to 13-1 after yielding one run on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks in the opener before spinning her sixth shutout of the year in the nightcap, allowing three runs while fanning three and walking four.

In the first game, Warrior junior Katie Pensiero (Stamford, CT/Stamford) retired the first seven Wheaton batters before freshman Julie Murray (Canton, MA/Canton) drew a one-out walk in the third and senior Alix Brozman (Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greeley) beat out an infield single. One out later, senior Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) came through with a run-scoring base hit to put the Lyons on top.

Moynagh escaped a jam in the bottom half, as Eastern Connecticut State put runners on second and third with one out before coming away empty, and Wheaton doubled its lead on junior Stacey Kelleher's (Brockton, MA/Brockton) two-out RBI single in the fifth.

The hosts put together a rally in the bottom of the final inning, collecting three of their six hits for the game and breaking on the board when senior Kate Livington (West Hartford, CT/Conard) grounded to first for the second out. Two batters later, Moynagh induced a game-ending popup with runners on second and third.

Five different Lyons had one hit, while senior Casey Mahoney (Willimantic, CT/Windham) and sophomore Ashley Sullivan (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) each went 2-for-3 for the Warriors. Pensiero suffered the loss after yielding five hits over seven innings with three strikeouts and two walks. For the game, Wheaton left seven on base, while Eastern Connecticut State stranded eight.

Wheaton plated all of the runs it would need during the first inning of game two, scoring three times on four hits. Marini singled in junior Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) with one down before she and Kelleher came home on junior Lynn Cotto's (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) two-out, two-run double to center.

Warrior freshman hurler Caitlin Cravens (Ellsworth, ME/Ellsworth) settled down from there, retiring 19 of the final 21 Wheaton batters while yielding one hit, a one-out Kelleher double in the sixth.

Moynagh pitched out of trouble early and stranded eight Warriors during the contest. The hosts put runners at first and second with one down in the first but came away empty before seeing a two-on, two-out situation go for naught the following inning. During the final five-plus frames, Moynagh retired 16 of the final 20 batters, yielding only two hits. The tying run never came to the plate in the last five innings, and Moynagh induced three seventh-inning groundouts to complete the twinbill sweep.

Kelleher went 2-for-3 while Cotto contributed the two RBI. Cravens gave up five hits and struck out two during seven innings, while junior Rachel Denny (East Haddam, CT/Nathan Hale-Ray) had a hit and two walks.

The Lyons return home for a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader on Friday, as Wheaton opposes the United States Coast Guard Academy at 3:00 p.m.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 4/8/08.
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