Softball swept in final home contest against Indiana Southeast

KENNEDY TWP., Pa. --- Carlow University softball wrapped its final home stand of the season with two losses against Indiana University Southeast Monday.

The Celtics fell to 13-29 and 9-17 in River States Conference action, while the Grenadiers improved to 26-13 and 18-4 in the conference.

Game 1: L, 10-6

Costly errors proved to be the downfall of the Celtics in the first game.

The Grenadiers scored two unearned runs in the first after a string of minor errors, but Carlow gained the lead in the bottom half of the inning.

Hannah Gallagher walked to lead off for the Celtics, and Megan Pollinger and Morgan Nedley hit back-to-back, one-out singles to load the bases for Maddie Bowes.

Bowes drove a hit to right-center field that brought in Gallagher and Pollinger, while Nedley turned on the jets to slide into home plate just underneath the catcher's glove.

Indiana Southeast got out of the inning before more damage could be done, but the Celtics were ahead, 3-2.

Back-to-back Indiana Southeast singles tied the game, 3-all, in the third.

Two hits and three errors handed the Grenadiers a 5-3 advantage in the fourth.

Marissa Schuckman made a diving stop at second base and flipped the ball to Nedley, forcing the final out in the top of the fifth and allowing Carlow to gain the lead once again in the bottom half of the frame.

Gallagher got the inning started with a double to right field, and Paige Ziggas singled to right to bring her home.

Nedley hit a one-out double to right to bring Ziggas around, and Bowes came up with another solid single to centerfield to bring in Nedley and give Carlow a 6-5 advantage.

Indiana Southeast scored three runs on three hits in the top of the sixth to regain the lead and retired the Celtics in order in the bottom of the inning.

The Grenadiers tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the seventh after a two-run shot off the bat of Autumn Oehlstrom cleared the right-center field fence. Indiana Southeast turned a double play to dash Carlow's hopes of a comeback in the bottom of the inning.

Clara Niglio suffered the loss after allowing six earned runs on 12 hits with six walks and two strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work. Amanda Hu tossed the final two outs of the game.

Nedley hit 3 for 4 with an RBI, while Bowes and Pollinger each hit 2 for 4. Bowes brought in four of Carlow's runs in the game.

Macie Zink went 3 for 4 with three RBI to lead the Grenadiers, and Madison Wathen earned the complete game win in the circle after allowing six runs on nine hits with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Game 2: L, 6-0

Pitcher Brooklyn Gibbs and the Grenadiers posted a four-hit shutout in the nightcap.

A two-run single up the middle put Indiana Southeast on the board first.

Carlow pitcher Morgan Pierce got out of a jam in the second with a huge strikeout to end the inning with runners stranded on second and third.

The Grenadiers turned an incredible double play in the third. It looked as though Ziggas' hit got past the left fielder, but she made a runner play to snag the fly ball. By that time, the Carlow runner was almost to second and had to backtrack, but the left fielder hit the relay to the second baseman who fired it over to first for the out.

Cassi Roman hit a two-run home run over the right-centerfield fence to put the Grenadiers ahead, 4-0, in the fourth, and Indiana Southeast turned another double play – this time a standard 6-4-3 – in the bottom half of the frame to keep Carlow off the base paths.

Pierce – who at this point moved from the circle to right field – came up with a nice play to prevent more runs coming across in the top of the fifth. A single to right-center looked as though the Grenadier could leg out a double, but Pierce found Nedley at second base to put down the tag in time.

Indiana Southeast left two Carlow runners stranded in the bottom of the sixth and added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

An RBI single and a ground out RBI gave Indiana Southeast a 6-0 lead, and the Grenadiers closed the door after allowing just one hit in the bottom of the inning.

Pierce took the loss after allowing four earned runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in four innings of work. Pollinger tossed three innings, allowing three hits and striking out two, while Hu allowed two runs on three hits in between Pollinger's appearances.

Niglio hit 2 for 3 in the effort at the plate.

Oehlstrom and Erin Templeman each hit 3 for 4, and Gibbs recorded five strikeouts in the win.

The Celtics return to action with a 3 p.m. road contest at Mount Aloysius College tomorrow.