Rhode Island Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Lafayette softball opened the 2016 season with an 11-8 win over Rhode Island in the opening round of the Lafayette Ford Lincoln of Fayetteville Showcase host by UNC-Wilmington.

Rhode Island jumped out to a 3-0 lead via a three-run home run by Kylie Shivery on a 2-2 offering from Lafayette starter Kristyn Marinelli.

The young Lafayette team was undaunted, banging out a four-spot in the top of the second to take a lead it held through the game's conclusion. Bryn Gornick doubled home Maddie Wensel for the Leopards' first run and Brooke Wensel plated two more, going the opposite way. The Leopards' cause was aided by one of three Rhode Island errors in the game. Lafayette led 4-3.

In the fourth, Lafayette tacked on three more runs to lead 7-3, scoring lone runs on a passed ball, a wild pitch and Allison Brown's double.

The Rams tightened the gap with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Emily Hendricks tripled home two and scored on the play on a throwing error as Rhode Island pulled within 7-6.

The Leopards picked up three much-needed insurance runs in the fifth. Sweigart (3-for-3) took one for the team to lead off the inning. A Jenna Orlando single and a Morgan Biddle bunt single loaded the bases with one out. Brooke Wensel plated Lafayette's eighth run with a fielder's choice. Jenna Didio and Brown added RBI-singles as Lafayette extended its lead to 10-6.

In the bottom of the inning, Marinelli retired the top of the order to send the game to the sixth where the Leopards added another run on a two-out error.

Marinelli was lifted in favor of Stacy Gordon to start the seventh. The Rams pushed across two run before Stephanie Thomas came on to end the game with a flyout and a groundout in the 11-8 final.

Marinelli (1-0) allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits with five walks and three strikeouts. Becca Rogers was saddled with the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits.

NOTES: Lafayette scored 10 or more runs for the first time since April 2, 2013 in a 10-8 win over Temple.

The Leopards faced off against Rhode Island assistant coach Mary Holt who was Lafayette head coach Jexx Varner's assistant for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

GAME 2
UNCW Box Score

The Leopards had a quick turnaround after the win over Rhode Island, facing host UNC-Wilmington 20 minutes after the conclusion of the game.

UNC-Wilmington (3-2) scored a lone run in the third and fifth innings and added two more in the sixth in a 4-0 victory.

The Seahawks' run in the third was unearned as No. 9 hitter Kelsey Bryan reached on an error and later scored on a Claudia Spinelli double. UNCW doubled its margin in the fifth. Hannah Adamczyk connected for a one-out double and her pinch runner, Tracy Haynes, stole third and scored on a sac fly.

The Seahawks put the game away with two runs in the home half of the sixth on Erin Brown's one-out single off Lafayette starter Stephanie Thomas. Thomas (0-1) threw 5.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits with a pair of walks and strikeouts.

Peyton Jordan (1-1) was the winning pitcher, scattering five hits in the shutout. She struck out one and walked one while the Lafayette offense left seven runners on base.

The Leopards will next play at 10 a.m. on Saturday vs. UNC-Wilmington followed by Delaware State at 3 p.m.