Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University softball program used strong defense and timely hitting to earn two consecutive victories over Holy Family University Thursday afternoon. With the back-to-back non-conference wins the Panthers improve to 8-8-1 this season as the Tigers fall to 6-8. 

Danielle Cutuli and Nicoletta Cuccio both put up 2-4 performances at the plate in the first game, as Brenna Martini and Nicole Camera combined for six hits, three runs and three RBIs in the nightcap. 

Game One
The opener turned into a pitching duel between Adelphi's Lindsay Mapes and Holy Family starter Koreen Orozco. Both pitchers went the distance for their respective squads, as extra innings were needed to determine a winner. Through a regularly scheduled seven innings, the teams combined for six hits as the Tigers stranded two runners twice and the hosts managed to get a runner on in every inning after the third. 
 
The lone run in the game came in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Panthers scored the game-winning run on an infield hit. Cutuli came through with a one out single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Fallon McCarthy.  An error sent Cutuli to third before she scored the walk-off run when junior Krista King reached base on an infield hit. 
 
Mapes, who improves to 5-3 this season received the victory as she held the Tigers to four hits in nine innings of work while striking out five.

Game Two 
Adelphi used five runs in the third inning to combat a 2-0 lead taken by Holy Family in the third, en route to a 7-4 win. After Holy Family scored a pair of runs in the top half of the inning thanks to back-to-back bases loaded walks, the Panthers responded with five runs. 
 
Martini led the inning off with a solo home run to left field before back-to-back triples by Camera and Lauren Sandelier led to another run by the Brown and Gold.   Megan Lewis plated Sandelier with a double of her own and later scored on an infield hit. Riding momentum, the hosts added two more runs in the fourth inning with run scoring hits by Martini and Camera to increase its lead to 7-2.
 
Holy Family cut into the home teams' lead in the top half of the sixth inning with a pair of runs.  Orozco led the inning off with a double and scored on a single as Rachael Zeides also scored on the play as she reached base on a walk earlier in the inning.
 
Kristin Fealy, who appeared in the circle in game two earned her first win of the season as she went 4.0 innings allowing two unearned runs on three hits while striking out two. Jessica Vadala came in relief, pitching the final three innings for the Panthers as she allowed two runs on a pair of hits.
 
The team is slated to return to action this weekend when they host back-to-back Northeast-10 doubleheaders. Adelphi hosts Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday, March 25 before turning around to play Franklin Pierce University on Sunday. First pitch for game one of both dates is scheduled for noon at Janet L. Ficke field. 

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About Adelphi Athletics:
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009 and in the past seven seasons, has collected 21 regular season conference titles, 25 tournament championships, 33 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup three times (2013, 2014, and 2016), while winning five NCAA Division II National Championships.

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