BOX 1/BOX 2
CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Fredonia State's school-record run through the Gene Cusic Classic took a new twist Wednesday. Actually, two new twists.
The Blue Devils improved to 12-0 with their first two walk-off wins of the spring – 7-6 over Hamilton in eight innings, and 2-1 over St. Lawrence – at the Cape Coral Complex.
The 12 straight wins established a new school record. The 2001 team won 11 straight games.
Against Hamilton, the Blue Devils overcame sloppy defense when Gabrielle Ciccarello delivered the game-winning hit in the last the eighth, a double over the right-fielder's head. Julie Arnold scored from second after being placed there to start the inning – part of the International tiebreaking procedure.
The hit was Ciccarello's third of the game, her second double, and was also her third RBI. Arnold had an RBI double and a single, and Katie Bartkowiak a triple and a single.
Danielle Shelp earned the pitching win with one inning of relief work. Raela Wiley also had a strong relief effort – two unearned runs on two hits in 3 1/3 innnings.
Shelp pitched out of a jam in the top of the eighth. After the Hamilton runner was placed on second to start the inning, Shelp's first pitch went to the backstop. Shelp then induced a pop-out back to the mound and two straight strikeouts to end the Hamilton threat.
The victory over St. Lawrence was even more dramatic. Down 1-0 with two outs in the last of the seventh, the Blue Devils strung together four straight hits to claim the win.
First, head coach Lorrie Corsi sent up Jamie Atkins as a pinch-hitter. Atkins dropped a single into short right, her fourth pinch hit of the spring. Corsi then called on Ciccarello to pinch hit, and the junior rolled a single into center to put runners on first and second.
Bartkowiak was up next and went down in the count, one ball and two strikes. With her team down to its last strike, Bartkowiak ground a single into right. Anne Wasik, running for Atkins, streamed into home with the tying run, as Rachel Burrows, running for Ciccarello, raced to third.
That set the stage for the day's second walk-off hit, a hard smash to left off the bat of Tina Schwartzmeyer.
As a result, Shelp earned her second victory of the day and improved to 4-0 on the year. She allowed four hits, struck out five, and walked just one. It was also the Blue Devils' fourth win in less than 24 hours. They won their 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. games Tuesday.
After commiting five errors against Hamilton, the Blue Devils regrouped and played errorless defense against St. Lawrence. They have made 11 errors in the 12 games in Florida.
The Blue Devils play the final two games of their Florida trip Thursday – 9 a.m. vs. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and 11 a.m. vs. Albright. Both games will be played at the Lee County Sports Complex.
