EXPRESS BAT THEIR WAY TO DOUBLE-HEADER SWEEP

(Aurora, N.Y.)─ The Wells College softball team slugged their way to a sweep of their North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) double-header against SUNY Cobleskill on Friday afternoon in Aurora. The Express took game one 9-5 and came from behind to defeat the Fighting Tigers in game two 14-13, combining for a total of 23 runs on 30 hits. With the sweep the Express improve to 3-17 (3-13 NEAC) while the Fighting Tigers fall to 3-21 (0-16 NEAC).
 
Molly Ploof (Lake Placid, N.Y.) paced the Express finishing the day 5-7 with two RBI and three runs scored. Alyssa Acquaviva (New Hartford, N.Y.) chipped in finishing 4-9 with three RBI, including two doubles and Kelly Cornwell (Caledonia, N.Y.) rounded out the highlights for the Express finishing 4-8 with a homerun and two RBI.
 
The Express bats came alive early in game one scoring five runs in the first inning.  Juli Vibbard (Burlington Flats, N.Y.) knocked a one out single and Acquaviva followed with a single of her own to put runners at first and second. After a fielder's choice put runners at the corners with two outs, Paige Stone (Madison, N.Y.) came to the plate and lined a two out single down the line driving in a run. Abby Williams (Tilton, N.H.) followed with a two run double and Ploof capped the five run inning with an RBI single scoring Williams for the 5-1 lead. 
 
Casey Kelly (Walton, N.Y.) pulled the Fighting Tigers to within one (5-4) in the third on a three-run homerun. However, after a scoreless fourth inning, the Express extended their lead to four in the fifth. Ploof roped an RBI single and Vibbard followed with a two run triple down the right field line for an 8-4 lead. Both teams plated one run in the sixth but the Express buckled down in the seventh to hold on for the 9-5 victory.
 
Lorelei Meier (Caledonia, N.Y.) earned the victory on the mound for the Express tossing seven innings, allowing five earned runs while striking out seven.  Ploof paced the Express in game one finishing 3-4 with two RBI. Stone and Vibbard eached finished 2-4 with two RBI while Williams finished 2-3 with two RBI.
 
Autumn Ackerman (Cochecton, N.Y.) suffered the loss on the mound for the Fighting Tigers tossing six innings, allowing eight earned runs while walking two and striking out four. Kelly paced Cobleskill from the plate finishing 2-4 with three RBI, including the three-run homerun in the third inning.
 
The Fighting Tigers struck first in game two. After the first batter struck out the next three batters reached via two walks and an error, loading the bases with one out. It would be the third walk of the inning that would plate the first run and a fielder's choice to second that plated the second as the Express escaped the top of the first down 2-0.
 
Wells quickly responded in the bottom half of the first as Brittany Stanton (Deposit, N.Y.) ripped a two-run homerun to left center, tying the game 2-2 after one. The Fighting Tigers continued to swing the hot bat in the second, plating three more runs in the second and two more in the third to take a 7-2 lead.
 
Errors plagued the Fighting Tigers in the bottom of third as the Express scored three runs on three errors and only one hit to pull within two (7-5).  Cobleskill continued to battle and would extend their lead back to four the very next inning, scoring two runs on two RBI singles to take a 9-5 lead.
 
The bottom of the fifth started with a bang for the Express as Cornwell led the inning off with a solo homerun to center. Stone followed with a double and Ploof lined a single, putting runners at the corners with nobody out. Meier hit an RBI single and, after a walk to Vibbard to load the bases, Acquaviva stepped to the plate and smoked a bases clearing double to the fence. The Express plated one more run in the inning on an error as they would finish the fifth with an 11-9 lead.
 
Despite the big inning by Wells, the Fighting Tigers refused to lay down in the sixth, scoring four more runs on three hits, including a two run double by Casey Kelly to retake the lead 13-11.
 
The bottom of the sixth would prove to be the difference maker as a costly error by the Fighting Tigers along with a wild pitch would lead to three runs for the Express and a 14-13 lead heading into the final frame. After a back and forth battle the entire game it would be a quiet 1-2-3 seventh that sealed the victory and the double-header sweep for Wells.
 
Paige Stone earned her first career victory on the mound for Wells while Nicole Gannon suffered the loss for Cobleskill.
 
The Express return to action against Keuka College on Monday afternoon in Aurora. The first pitch of the NEAC double-header is set for 4 p.m.