Florence, S.C. - A most-memorable start for
Lindsey Hibbs highlighted a spirited Opening Day performance by the No. 9 Adelphi University softball team at the Patriot Invitational at Francis Marion University on Saturday.
Game 1: #9 Adelphi 4, #17 Kutztown 0
A reigning NFCA Second Team All-American, Hibbs took the ball in Game 1 and commanded the circle.
It only took one start for Hibbs to register a new career-high in strikeouts, punching out 15 batters against fellow nationally-ranked squad, Kutztown.
Hibbs struck out the side in the first inning and dominated from thereon. She worked around an error in the third and stranded the bases loaded, before proceeding to allow only two more baserunners the rest of the game.
Both pitchers traded zeroes until the bottom of the sixth, when Adelphi broke through against Kutztown starter Sarah Harvey.
Courtney Wengryn,
Faith Camilleri and
Jaden Farhat all reached safely on infield singles to start the inning, setting the stage for a key two-RBI double by
Kendall Winn.
Senior transfer
Sabrina Morales then made her debut as a pinch-hitter and came through with an RBI single that extended the Adelphi lead to 4-0.
Game #2: #9 Adelphi 2, Francis Marion 1 - 8 Innings
The Panthers twice threatened early against the red-hot 8-1 Patriots with two runners in scoring position and one out, but came up empty in both innings.
A sixth-inning error changed the complexion of the entire game. With two on and two out,
Angela Lignelli hit a pop-up on the infield that Francis Marion first baseman Savana Rosson dropped, thereby scoring
Jaden Farhat as the tying run from second.
Claire Fon -- a reigning All-American herself -- worked in and out of trouble the first two innings, and gave up the game's opening run in the third, on a lead-off solo homer by Danielle Karacson.
The game went to extras and instituted the international tiebreaker rule, where each team would start the eighth and any further innings with a runner on second base.
As
Faith Camilleri delivered a go-ahead lead-off RBI single in the top half,
Tierney Fitzgerald shut down the Patriots in order in the bottom to earn her first win as a Panther.
These three teams conclude round-robin play tomorrow (Feb. 19). Adelphi will first match up with Francis Marion at 11 a.m., followed by Kutztown at 1 p.m.
