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WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (April 14, 2013) – Freshman Kelsey Dempsey (Broomfield, Colo.) drove in six runs and junior Danielle DeFeo (Andover, N.J.) recorded five consecutive hits to end the day as the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team swept a doubleheader from new Empire 8 Conference foe Houghton College early Sunday afternoon.

Stevens improves to 4-24 overall and 2-8 in Empire 8 play, although the wins today will not count toward postseason qualification, as Houghton is in an exploratory year as a member of Division III and the Empire 8.  The Highlanders drop to 1-15 (0-8).

 
Stevens 7, Houghton 6

Senior Molly Herforth (Pompton Plains, N.J.) cruised through the first two innings as she struck out four straight batters, although the Highlanders did threaten with runners reaching first and second base via an error and walk with one out in the first inning.

Stevens went up 4-0 in the bottom of the first inning as DeFeo drew a leadoff walk and  was joined on the bases by freshman left fielder Gavriella Risman-Jones (New Boston, N.H.), who beat out a dropped third strike to reach first safely as DeFeo advanced to third.  Dempsey drove both home on a single up the middle and came around to score herself on a sharp double down the left field line by junior third baseman Stephanie Senkevich (Washington, N.J.).  Two batters later, freshman designated player Oriana DeFeo-Peterson (Patterson, N.Y.) brought Senkevich home on another single up the middle to give the Ducks the four-run lead.

The Ducks were unable to take advantage of a one-out double by DeFeo in the bottom of the second inning and the Highlanders capitalized, tying the game in the top of the third.  After a single and error put runners on first and second base, the Ducks were able to get the second out of the inning before a hit-by-pitch and walk loaded the bases.  A pair of singles brought the four runs home, however, and the game was tied.

Senior catcher Clair Strom (El Paso, Texas) and Senkevich both drew leadoff walks to start the bottom of the third inning, but the Ducks could not get either home.  The Highlanders matched Stevens with back-to-back hit-by-pitches in the top of the fourth, but they too were unable to bring the runners home as Herforth ended the inning on a strikeout and the score remained tied.

DeFeo and Risman-Jones just missed beating out the throw to first to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, but Dempsey drew a walk and Strom singled her over to third with two outs.  Senkevich then stepped up to the plate and smashed her second double of the day to left field to score Dempsey and put the Ducks back on top, 5-4.

Herforth sat down the side for the second time in the top of the fifth inning, but the Highlanders got their first 1-2-3 inning as well to keep the Ducks from adding any insurance runs.  Herforth faced the minimum in the sixth as well thanks to an inning-ending double play and the Ducks gave themselves a bit of a cushion before heading into the seventh as DeFeo and Risman-Jones led off with a pair of singles and came home on a single to deep centerfield by Dempsey to give Stevens the 7-4 lead.

The Highlanders got a leadoff single and put runners on first and second base with one out after a botched fielder's choice at second, then drew a walk to load the bases after the second out was recorded.  Sophomore right fielder Adrean Tiffany (Loweville, N.Y.) then smashed a double into the gap in left-center; the ball dropped just beyond the outstretched glove of the diving Risman-Jones and two runs scored, but senior centerfielder Lauren Hurley (Sparta, N.J.) was quick to reach it and gunned the tying run down at the plate to seal the victory.

Dempsey led the Ducks at the plate, going 2-3 with a walk, two runs and four RBI while DeFeo, Strom and Senkevich also recorded multi-hit games.  Herforth did not allow an earned run while allowing six hits and three walks, striking out six over seven innings.

Tiffany led the Highlanders with a 2-4 day at the plate while driving in four runs.  Freshman Ashley Schenk (Victoria, B.C., Canada) allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits and five walks while striking out seven over six innings.
 

Stevens 6, Houghton 3

The Highlanders jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning as junior shortstop Samantha Patoff (Mississauga, Ont., Canada) blasted a solo home run to left-center to put Houghton up, 1-0.  The Ducks responded immediately as DeFeo beat out a single to the pitcher to lead off the bottom of the frame, stole second and scored on a Dempsey triple down the right field line.  Strom was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat and promptly stole second, during which Dempsey scored on the throw to make it 2-1 in Stevens' favor. 

The Ducks added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning.  Freshman second baseman Sydney Spitz (Shelton, Conn.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, stole second and advanced to third as DeFeo beat out another infield single.  DeFeo then stole second to put both runners in scoring position with just one out, and Spitz scored on a passed ball to make it 3-1.  DeFeo was caught in a run-down at home plate for the second out of the inning, but Risman-Jones came around to score from second on an error at first base, putting Stevens up 4-1.

Sophomore Brianna Sandone (Haddon Township, N.J.) faced just one batter over the minimum in the first three innings before recording a 1-2-3 in the fourth and again allowing just one hit in the fifth inning.  Houghton had a chance to put runners in scoring position with two outs in the top of third inning, but a relay by DeFeo from DeFeo-Peterson got the lead runner at third base as she overslid the bag. 

The Ducks almost added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as Strom singled to lead off and advanced to third on a groundout and passed ball, but Stevens could not bring her home.  Houghton quickly knocked the Ducks back on their heels in the top of the sixth inning, as a one-out single and double put runners in scoring position and both scored on a single to the gap in left-center, cutting the Ducks' lead to one.

Stevens answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, however, as Hurley scored on a passed ball and DeFeo came in on another single by Dempsey.

DeFeo turned an impressive double play to erase a leadoff single in the top of the seventh inning and although Houghton got a ground-rule double in the next at-bat, but a fly out ended the game in Stevens' favor, 6-3.

Dempsey was 2-4 with a run and two more RBI while DeFeo went a perfect 4-4 with two runs and a pair of stolen bases.  Strom and Spitz each stole a base as well, with Strom also recording her second multi-hit game of the day.  Sandone picked up her first win of the season, limiting the Highlanders to just three earned runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out one batter over seven innings.

Senior centerfielder Megan Musser (Pomona, Calif.) led the Highlanders at the plate, going 2-3 with a double, while sophomore Sarah Beirne (Port Jervis, N.Y.) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on nine hits, two walks and two hit-by-pitches while whiffing three over six innings.
 

Head Coach Erica Mehalick and the Ducks will take to the road for their final two weeks of games, starting with a doubleheader at St. Joseph's College (17-11) on in Patchogue, N.Y. on Long Island this Wednesday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m.