Irvine, Calif. - After seeing their opening weekend on the West Coast washed out, the Adelphi University softball team finally took the field for the first time this season on Tuesday, but was handed two shutouts to begin its season.
The Panthers (0-2) were swept by the hot bats of the Concordia Irvine (6-1) in doubleheader action at Eagles Field, 4-0 and 13-0.
With the first four games of Adelphi's season washed out at the Dixie State Classic in St. George, Utah over the weekend, the Panthers struggled offensively against their first live pitches of the season, notching just two hits in game two after going hitless in game one.
Concordia's Callie Nunes, the National Freshman of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) and a First-Team All-American in her freshman season last year, hurled a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts in the first game, facing just three batters over the minimum.
In game two, the Panthers were outslugged by the Eagles, who ran their winning streak to six straight games, thanks in part to a four-run second inning and eight-run fourth inning which helped put the game away.
The home team pounded out nine hits, including two home runs, against
Jessica Vadala and
Nicole Mengel, but only four of the 13 runs surrendered were earned following three defensive errors in the Panther infield.
The Panthers' lone baserunners against Nunes came via a walk to
Elisabeth Berard in the fifth inning, and Nunes hit both
Lauren Sandelier and
Emily Whitman with pitches to put them on base in the fifth and sixth, respectively.
With the Brown and Gold down 3-0, Sandelier was plunked to lead off the fifth, swiped second base with one out for her first steal of the season, and Berard joined her on base thanks to the two-out free pass, but Nunes recorded punchouts for all three outs in the inning in between to keep Adelphi off the board.
In game two, Whitman notched her first collegiate hit, a single down the right-field line to lead off the fourth, while Sandelier singled with one out in the second.
Ally Muller nonetheless pitched well for the Panthers in the first start of her sophomore campaign as she matched up with the All-American, surrendering just three hits and only two earned runs, while striking out four.
The Panthers and Eagles close out their three game series on Wednesday with a single game, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. PST, or 4 p.m. EST.
About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.
Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.
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