Garden City, N.Y. - Brenna Martini and Nicoletta Cuccio combined for half the offense for the Adelphi University softball team in a game one rout against the Bears of NYIT on Thursday afternoon, as the Panthers opened their slate on Janet L. Ficke Field with a split against their Long Island rivals.

The duo combined for six runs scored and seven RBIs in a 14-0 finish in game one, in which Lauren Sandelier drove in three, going 2-3 at the plate, and Stephanie Staiano plated two. In game two, Adelphi jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the first three innings, but fell victim to a late NYIT rally for a 7-6 final.

Game 1
Adelphi (3-7-1) opened the game with two runs in the bottom of the first thanks to a Sandelier double to score both Martini and Cuccio to set an early tone for the Panthers. The Brown and Gold blew the game open with a six-run second, in which Cuccio and Staiano each knocked in a pair, to take an 8-0 lead. Martini capped the offense with three-run blast, her sixth home run of the season, in a five-run fourth for the Panthers that also saw Krista King and Cuccio pick up RBIs to finish the scoring at 14-0.

The early offense was more than enough insurance for Lindsay Mapes, who sparkled in five innings as she pitched to contact, allowing just one hit in the fifth for the run-ruled victory.

Game 2
Adelphi took a 5-1 lead behind Kristin Fealy, who surrendered a leadoff home run to Kaitlyn Lanksbury before settling in. Adelphi responded with a pair in the bottom of the first, as a pair of walks to Cuccio and Martini -- two of nine for NYIT starter Laura McLaughlin -- put two on, before Sandelier legged out an infield single for the first RBI and a throwing error gave Adelphi its second run.

The lead grew to 5-1 thanks to an Adelphi three-spot in the second, as a leadoff single for Staiano turned into a run thanks to an RBI triple for Kailah Konkel, while an RBI groundout for Cuccio and a single for Nicole Camera plated two more. Undaunted, the Bears hit Fealy back for three in the third on four hits total, highlighted by a two-run double for Tiffany McKraken, to close the gap to 5-4.

Adelphi manufactured an insurance run in the fifth, as Megan Lewis walked and pinch-runner Elisabeth Berard came around to score on a groundout and a two-base error, making it a 6-4 game. However, the Bears hit back late against Fealy, plating three more runs to take their first lead since the first batter, as a a go-ahead two-run double from Christine Olivas that plated Ruth Rodriguez and Josephine Santagata.

Adelphi looked for all the world to have the tying run in prime position in the seventh, as Lewis led off with a triple, but she was unable to come around to score and was instead picked off third base with one down to end the Adelphi threat.

The Panthers are back in action on Monday, March 13, hosting Georgian Court University in a non-conference double-header on the first day of spring break. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.

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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 20 regular season conference titles, 24 tournament championships, 29 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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