Softball Stymied By Cazenovia In Home Opener

AURORA, N.Y. – The Wells College softball team posted back-to-back losses to the Wildcats of Cazenovia College on Saturday to open their home calendar of contests. With the losses, Wells falls to 0-6 both overall and within the North Eastern Athletic Conference while the Wildcats (5-11, 4-0 NEAC) pick up their first victories over the Express dating back to Apr. 21, 2012.

Wells, who posted only eight hits across the two games of the doubleheader, fell by a 3-1 margin in the opener before falling by a 4-0 score in game two. Freshman Taylor Spranger (Schenevus, N.Y.) and sophomore Karley Raczynski (Fonda, N.Y.) led the offense as they each picked up two hits for the Express on the afternoon. Spranger allowed only three earned runs on the afternoon as defensive miscues by the Express accounted for four unearned runs.

The Express scored the day's first run as Spranger scored on a defensive miscue by the Cazenovia center fielder after reaching base on a single. The Wildcats scored three runs in their half of the fourth inning to account for their lone offense, slapping two hits and utilizing two Wells errors to plate all of their runs.

In the second game, Cazenovia got on the board first in the top of the second inning. Smith hit a leadoff triple and was plated by a Brittnye Bartell sacrifice fly to left field, elevating Cazenovia to a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, shaky defense by Wells led to one run after two errors were committed in the frame. With one out in the top of the sixth, Spranger recorded an out before Bartell struck again with a double to right center field. A Marisa Scarcella single to center field precede a booming double over the Wells center fielder's head to plate two additional runs.

Cazenovia hurler Jenna Kraegar allowed only one unearned run on the afternoon, striking out 17 Express batters in 14 full innings of work. Only walking one batter, Kraegar picked up a shutout in the second game of the afternoon and secured two wins for her team.

Wells returns to action Sunday, Apr. 13 as they face-off against the Mustangs of Morrisville State College in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at home.