OFFENSE LEADS WILDCATS PAST EXPRESS

(Aurora, N.Y.)─ The Wells College softball team ran into a hot hitting team in SUNYIT as the Wildcats swept the Saturday afternoon double-header between the two squads 10-6 and 30-4 in Aurora, N.Y. The double-header loss drops the Express to 0-10 (0-6 NEAC), while the Wildcats improve to 12-3 (8-0 NEAC).
 
Lorelei Meier (Caledonia, N.Y./Caledonia-Mumford) paced the Express from the plate, finishing the day 4-6, with a two runs scored and one RBI. Juli Vibbard (Burlington Flats, N.Y./Edmeston) and Molly Ploof (Lake Placid, N.Y./Lake Placid) each finished 3-5 with two runs scored and one RBI, while Brittany Stanton (Deposit, N.Y./Deposit) finished 3-6 with two RBI's to round out the highlights for the Express.
 
Lyndsey Brognano (Rome, N.Y./Rome Free) led the Wildcats, banging out five hits and four RBI's, including a homerun and two doubles.  Juleah Vedder (Dolgeville, N.Y./Dolgeville) earned the win on the mound in game one and also finished the day with five hits and nine RBI's, including a double and a homerun. Amanda Pratt(Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) rounded out an impressive day from the plate for the Wildcats, finishing with a team high seven hits, including a perfect 5-5 in game two.
 
The Wildcats combined for a total of 40 runs, 36 hits, nine doubles, and three homeruns in the double-header sweep.
 
In game one the Wildcats jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, scoring four runs in both the first and second inning. The Express battled back to plate two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kristen Ryan (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Ludden) started things off with a one out double and Ploof and Meier delivered with two out RBI singles, trimming the lead to six (8-2). 
 
Down 10-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Express mounted a two out rally. Vibbard hit an RBI triple, scoring Meier, and Alyssa Acquaviva (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) followed with an RBI single, while Kelly Cornwell (Caledonia, N.Y./Caledonia-Mumford) and Stanton both knocked RBI doubles, trimming the lead to four (10-6).  Despite the late offensive surge, the rally would fall short as the Wildcats held on for the victory.
 
Game two belonged to the Wildcats, who combined to score 23 runs in the first two innings and never looked back en route to the run rule shortened victory.
 
The Express will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon at home against NEAC foe Cazenovia College. Game one of the Sunday double-header is set for 1 p.m. in Aurora.